THE LIFE STORY OF 
MARK SHELDON 




MARK SHELDON 
November 21, 1829 June 1, 1902 



MARK SHELDON 

An Autobiographical Sketch 



The Murdock Press 
San Francisco, Cal, 



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MARK SHELDON'S LIFE STORY. 




HAVE been frequently asked by my 
children and others who have heard 
detached parts of the story of my life 
to write it out. It might be of inter- 
est to some in the future — unimportant as it 
may appear now. I am fully conscious that the 
works and deeds of all men, excepting a very 
few, are soon lost in oblivion after they them- 
selves have passed away. 

My great-grandfather and great-grandmother 
on my father's side were Roger Sheldon and y { 
Libfo r c JBweet. They lived aiid died in 
Greenwich , Rhode Island. Tvly brother Joseph 
visited the spot in 185^ Our grandfather and[ 
grandmother Sheldon camei rom Connecticut. 
Her maiden name was Ruth Bishop. Married 
in New London, they moved to Lisbon in that 
State, where my father was born on the nine- 
teenth day of April, 1783, thence to KillinglJy^^Jy 
in Windham County, thence to Brooklyn in the 
same State. Our father there made the acquaint- 
ance of Septimus G. Adams, and in 1801 they 
started on foot for the then new West, New York 
State. 

After an uneventful trip, they came to the 
site of the present town of Litchfield, 



1 
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O^te^fr+n**/ 



County, near the city of Utica. There our father 
met for the first time our mother, the daughter 
of Capt. Tilly Richardson, who had served in the 
War of the Revolution. He was born in 




J! t ~£*uJ JP*' i Mass., March 22, 1759, and was captain in 
^r^the Second Worcester Regiment. He was in the 
/Rhode Island campaign in August, 1778, and in 
the Burlington alarms in 1777. He married 
Mary, sometimes called Polly, Thurston, May 
19, 1782, and died January 14, 1852, 

Our mother was born in-Jefei&s, New Hamp- 
shire, September^i4^"T7?97~ Our great-grand- 
father Richardson (Tilly senior), married Eliz- 
abeth Sawyer, July 10, 1751. Father remained 
One yearirr^aeieka County, and in the next year, 
T802, started with Adams, a Mr. ^ Qjjn - d y and a 
Mr ^Wm. Smith y for Jefferson C ounty, where 
r^ Gjm iy had bought a large tract of land in 
the town of Harrison, now called Rodman. Our 
father and Adams stayed there a year, but not 
finding the land to suit them, in 1803 moved 
nokth to Watertown. Mr. Smith, who was of 
the party, declined to stay any time in Rodman, 
having found some spruce trees there. He, hav- 
ing been born in Nova Scotia, told our father 
that they indicated cold and poor soil. The three 
(our father, Adams and Smith) met the next 
year, 1803, in Watertown, where they all settled 
3Tfd died. All passed threescore years and ten. 




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Father bought in 1803, on the southern border 
of Watertown, a farm of three hundred acres, on 
which he died in 1857. In 1809 he married 
B£jgsyjjg|h, the daughter of Tilly Richardson, 
Junior, who had come on to Jefferson from 
County, where they had first met. After 
clearing the land my father started the manu- 
facturing of potash from the ashes of the timber 
taken from the land. The first crop grown was 
corn. This was often burned for fuel ; the price 
of it was very low. Then he erected a stone dis- 
tillery for the manufacture of whisky from the 
corn. That he could sell in Kingston and Mont- 
real to the English soldiery for gold. He con- 
tinued that industry until advancing public sen- 
timent made it no longer profitable. Then he 
devoted the land to dairying purposes; built a 
cheese factory, bought the milk of his neighbors 
and manufactured an article that contributed 
much more to the making of good citizens. He 
also erected a flouring mill in the village of 
Watertown, on Black River. This change of 
business relieved our mother much, for she had 
always strongly protested against the manufac- 
turing of whisky. 

Upon this farm on the 21st of November, in 
the year 1829, I was born, being the youngest in 
a family of eight children. My father took much 



interest in public schools, and furnished the 
material to build a substantial stone schoolhouse 
upon his own land, where all the children in that 
neighborhood received their first start in life. 
When, in after years, passing that temple of 
science, I lifted my hat. It was and is one of 
those "American milestones," so-called by Kos- 
suth when visiting this country. After leaving 
this school I was a year at Black River Institute 
in the now city of Watertown ; then taught school 
winters and worked on the farm summers ; then 
clerked one year at a general country store in the 
town of Rodman conducted by Hunt & West. 
In the year 1851, up to the 1st of July, I was in 
the employment of the Watertown Times and 
Reformer. 

On the 4th of July of that year an event 
occurred that transplanted me to this fair land 
on the shores of the Pacific Ocean. A neighbor, 
Mr. R. C. Adams, had gone to California the 
year before, and on that day a brother of his had 
received a letter in which was a draft on New 
York for $1,000. He offered to loan me $200 of 
this, if I wished to go to the Golden State. This 
manifestation of confidence in my ability to re- 
pay the money induced me to immediately accept 
the offer. I thought afterward that I could see a 
disposition on his part to recede from the origi- 
nal proposition; but found my apprehension was 



at fault. He, however, did require my father's 
guarantee. As soon as the note was marked with 
my father's indorsement, the money was paid. I 
immediately stepped into a clothing establish- 
ment and ordered an outfit for the then far-off 
El Dorado ; left Watertown on the 7th of July, 
1 85 1, taking the Rome & Watertown Railroad 
at Adams, fourteen miles from Watertown. 
The railroad was only finished to that point 
then. Arrived the next day in Albany ; stayed at 
the Delevan House one night, and in settling my 
bill received $2.50 in gold, the first gold coin I 
had ever seen. This illustrates how thoroughly 
the business of the country was done in paper 
money. 

The next day I arrived in New York City, 
and its activity and bustle of business very greatly 
amazed me. I stayed there one night, and 
after securing my ticket on the steamer Empire 
City to sail on the 12th of July for Aspinwall, I 
went to New Haven, where I remained for two 
days with my brother Joseph, who was then a 
student in Yale College. These two days were 
thoroughly enjoyed by us both. Returning to 
New York City, I embarked on the steamer that 
was to take me a portion of the way to San Fran- 
cisco. It was the first time I had ever seen salt 
water and knew nothing of its restless and swing- 
ing habit. Had I but known what a disturb- 



ance it was to produce in my stomach I would 
have preferred to make the trip by land. How- 
ever, it was no doubt an insurance to good health 
for some time after. One would naturally sup- 
pose that in the forty-nine years that have since 
come and gone, the recollection of that suffering 
would have passed; but, no, that trial is as vivid 
to-day as it was then. I have never since been on 
good terms with the restless sea, and shall never 
regard it a desirable place for the abode of men 
of my make-up. 

We finally reached Aspinwall after a voyage 
of eight miserable days. From there we were 
rowed up the Chagres River by the natives of the 
country, whose distinguishing characteristic was 
what might be termed a radical and pronounced 
opposite to "full dress." Traveling in open boats, 
called bangoes, which were driven against the 
current by long poles thrust into the bottom of 
the shallow river, was luxuriant indeed to one 
just escaped from the noisy Atlantic and the bois- 
terous Carribean Sea. After reaching the head 
of navigation on the Chagres River, we were 
transferred to that patient and enduring animal, 
the mule, to continue our journey to Panama. 
The trails through this part of the Isthmus were 
often narrow and difficult for one to pass over. 

A rather humorous incident occurred at this 
part of the trip. As one of our passengers was 



brought in close contact with one going in the 
opposite direction, he hailed him most hilari- 
ously and boisterously: "How are you, Otto 
Cushing?" The man turned to his saluter and 
said, "You have the advantage of me, my dear 
sir; I don't know you." Our comrade said, 
"Having the advantage of a returning Califor- 
nian, who shares a general reputation for great 
shrewdness, I am going to keep it. However, I 
would not have known you but for the fact that I 
saw your name printed so conspicuously upon 
your knapsack." 

Next day we reached the Pacific at Panama, 
where we were detained a week. At that time 
the city was exempt from the fever that had been 
the terror of travelers the two years before. 
Here the only things that impressed me were the 
new language and the large number of Catholic 
priests going to and coming from their churches. 

The steamer that we had waited for at last 
arrived and anchored in the bay some distance 
from the shore, and we were taken on board in 
small boats. She was named after the city we 
were to leave — Panama. Her commander, Hud- 
son, was a rough-and-ready seaman and a thor- 
ough disciplinarian. No steerage passenger was 
permitted to pass a certain line while he was on 
deck. 

The trip was uneventful, with but two excep- 



tions: The day after leaving Acapulco, about 
10 o'clock in the morning, we passed into a dense 
fog. So thoroughly did it shut out the sun that 
no object could be seen the length of the steamer 
ahead of us. Suddenly we struck a huge rock 
some twenty or thirty feet high. Fortunately for 
us all the ship was making slow headway. The 
only damage we suffered was the carrying away 
of the larboard boats and disabling some of the 
buckets, but the consternation among the passen- 
gers was great. Women fainted and some men 
behaved worse. However, the next day the fog 
lifted, and after the needed repairs were made 
we journeyed on. I still continue to hold in no 
high regard the ocean as a permanent home of 
man. 

A few days after passing by this rock a mild 
form of Asiatic cholera appeared on our ship, 
and I was one of its victims. The day I left the 
old homestead, my father advised me, while in 
New York City, to get an oiled silk belt to go 
about my person, to serve as a "safe" for the pro- 
tection of whatever money I might hide, en 
route. The duty I imposed upon myself of daily 
balancing my cash account had so worn upon the 
combination of this improvised "safe" that, upon 
one occasion, while I was responding to the press- 
ing exactions of the Asiatic malady, this safe 
proved no greater protection to my cash than 



was Selby's, and all the bullion I had passed into 
the Pacific Ocean — not by the hand of the bur- 
glar, but by the unerring law of gravitation, and 
there it is to-day a "memorial of the past and a 
monitor to the present and succeeding genera- 
tions" of Sheldons. When I became fully con- 
scious of what had happened you could have 
bought Sheldons for a dollar a dozen, for it had 
left me sick among strangers and without a cent. 
My room-mate kindly bought of me the "Rev- 
eries of a Bachelor" for one dollar, with which I 
arrived in this harbor on the 19th of August, 

1851. 

I am sure a happier body of men and women 
never entered the Golden Gate. We anchored 
down at Clark's Point, and when the plank 
was thrown out to the land all were clamorous 
to be first to bid farewell to the steamship 
Panama. The dollar I received for the book 
sold, constituted my entire moneyed possession, 
and my note was out for $200. After coming on 
shore I looked up my neighbor who came here 
the year before ; found him playing a trombone 
in a band at a public house on Commercial Street 
between Battery and Front; stayed one night 
with him, but found after being in bed a short 
time that I had a myriad of uninvited visitors, the 
most voracious I had ever known. For the truth 
of this statement I could refer to any newcomer 



to this country in those early days. All had to 
do battle with the irrepressible flea. I was fairly 
vanquished, and at 2 in the morning I surren- 
dered and passed the remaining part of the night 
in patrolling the streets of the city — to me, then, 
weird and wonderful in the extreme. 

The next day I started for Sacramento 
on the steamer "Senator"; reached there 
the following day; went out to the Sixteen 
Mile House on the road to Mokelumne 
Hill, where my brother, Bishop, owned a 
hotel that he had leased. He was him- 
self about to start for the north fork of the Yuba 
River at Oregon Bar, where he had already es- 
tablished himself in furnishing supplies to the 
miners. Returning to Sacramento the next day, 
he loaded a four-horse wagon with goods; we 
started via Marysville for our destination, my- 
self as his only passenger, and arrived there after 
two days of torrid traveling. Reaching the sum- 
mit above the bar, the descent was so steep that 
the horses were not able to hold back the loaded 
wagon, so he detached them, and, fastening a 
rope to the hind axle, with the other end of the 
rope passed around a large tree, he proceeded to 
let the wagon down by gravity, controlled by 
permitting the rope to slide about the tree as the 
wagon descended the steep mountain. In a short 
time the goods were safely delivered in front of 

10 



his store upon the bar, where hundreds of miners 
were at work with their "long toms," washing the 
gold from the gravel. The very next day after 
my arrival I commenced work for the "Cole 
Company," which had a claim that was paying 
them $16 per day for each miner employed. I 
remained in their employment about a month, 
receiving $8 per day, but finding an opportunity 
to buy a claim near this company, with Ed 
Adams, bought it; found that by hard work we 
could only make $6 per day, and then sold it for 
just what we gave for it. The purchaser, after a 
few days' work upon it, found a rich streak of pay 
dirt and made $16 per day for some weeks. 

I then went to the next bar up the river, called 
Pittsburgh, and bought a claim that paid me $16 
per day until the rains came on Christmas Day. 
Then I sold it to James Connelly for $500. The 
rains had made it impossible to work it until the 
following year. Then, in company with Wil- 
liam Sheridan of Texas, went to Wyandotte, 
away from any river (a series of ravines breaking 
up the otherwise level plain), where gold was 
found in moderate quantities. These were called 
"dry" or "winter diggings." Here we remained 
until spring, making some $6 per day as long as 
the water lasted. Then we were at sea as to 
what we would do. This was only a few miles 
from Marysville, to which place we went and 

11 



remained a week or so at the Fremont House, 
kept by DeWitt Haskell, who was the builder of 
the railroad from Marysville to Benicia, and 
afterward was a contractor on a tunnel to con- 
nect Jersey City with New York City under the 
Hudson, which enterprise never came to comple- 
tion. 

At this hotel in Marysville I met Mr. George 
W. Shultz, a mining engineer who had been en- 
gaged by some San Francisco capitalists to erect 
a quartz mill upon a ledge they had acquired on 
Jameson Creek in Plumas County, some hundred 
odd miles north of Marysville. He urged me to 
join him as secretary of his company and pay- 
master at the mine. This I accepted. The com- 
pany proceeded to build a mill, as many had done 
before, without having their mine properly de- 
veloped. When the mill was built we found we 
had no rock. Fortunately for me, emigrants 
were beginning to come in via the Beckwith 
route at this point in July and August. I had 
sent to Marysville for provisions and miners' 
supplies, and I converted our company's office 
into a mining store, and soon found myself 
doing a very profitable and satisfactory business. 
Good surface mining had been found just below 
our mill on the creek. 

In December a storm set in that continued for 
some time, threatening to shut us off from all 

12 



communication with the outside world. I con- 
cluded to "close out" my stock of goods and 
started for Marysville in as severe a snow storm 
as had ever been seen in the mountains. 
With great danger and difficulty, after three 
days' travel, I reached Marysville; sold my horse 
that I had ridden there; remained a few days, 
when a warm rain "set in" and continued for a 
week, which caused one of the greatest floods 
this country had ever seen, now called in history 
"The flood of '52 and '53." Coming down to 
Sacramento I found the people moving about 
the streets in boats. Goods were raised up to the 
second story of the buildings. Went across the 
river to Washington, where I remained one 
night, taking the steamer the next day for San 
Francisco. This was early in January, 1853. 
Took up my residence at the Niantic Hotel, 
northwest corner of Sansome and Clay streets; 
where I remained for several months. The 
floods and storms in the country had brought a 
large number of people to this city, all seeking 
something to do. 

During the early part of that year the affairs 
of this city were "blue and hard," communica- 
tion with the country having been shut off by the 
storms. I cast about for a job, with no success. 
Drifting down to the waterfront one day, I found 
that a schooner had just arrived from Bodega, 

13 



loaded with potatoes. I secured an option for 
the day, on this cargo of potatoes, at seven cents 
per pound, and before the day was over had sold 
them all around the town and had netted for my 
day's work some $40. This transaction brought 
me into the markets of the city, where I found 
people doing well with a small capital. Just 
then a new market was being constructed on 
Washington Street, running through to Mer- 
chant. It was to be opened in March, to be 
called the Washington Market, what is now 
known as the "United States Market." The 
high price then prevailing for eggs attracted 
my attention. Fresh ranch eggs sold for $2 a 
dozen, imported Boston eggs for $1 per dozen. 
I gave an order to my father's agent in Boston 
to purchase "Boston eggs," and send them on as 
soon as convenient. They were promptly for- 
warded and reached here via Cape Horn. They 
came in a trifle over three months. The charac- 
ter of the ships engaged in this trade at that 
time surpassed anything that had been known — 
both for speed and safety. While these goods 
were on the way I engaged space in this new 
market mentioned above. It was opened on the 
12th of March, 1853, with a band of music, and 
it was the event of the town. The decorations 
were fine; hilarity generally prevailed; business 
was good, and it was voted a grand success by all. 

14 



A few weeks after this the ship having my eggs 
on board arrived, and when they were delivered 
were in brisk demand at $i per dozen. They 
had cost me 12^2 cents. As this venture had 
proved so great a success, I continued for some 
years, up to 1859, importing and jobbing pro- 
visions. But I never "hit upon" a market in all 
the after years that paid so large a percentage of 
profit as the first. Next to this was a successful 
venture in marketing provisions at the time of 
the discovery of gold in Fraser River, British 
Columbia. 

Early in 1859, in the month of May, I left 
for New York via the Isthmus of Tehuantepec, 
going to New Orleans, thence up the Mississippi 
River on the steamer "Capitol" in company with 
Benjamin Smith, a banker. I visited the "Her- 
mitage," the home of General Andrew Jackson, 
in Memphis; also the home of James K. Polk, 
ex-President, and the Mammoth Cave of Ken- 
tucky. We passed through its entire length, 
some seven miles. Then we passed on to Louis- 
ville, Kentucky, thence to Cincinnati, where we 
remained two days. Here we were detained by 
our inability to find any one to identify us at any 
bank. Traveling with a San Francisco banker, I 
was not a little surprised at this. I had a New 
York draft for $2,000, drawn by Sather & 
Church of San Francisco on the American Ex- 



15 



change Bank of New York. However, I sug- 
gested to my traveling partner that I deposit the 
draft with the American Express Company for 
collection, and when paid they should telegraph 
their branch office in Cincinnati to pay us $200 
of the $2,000. This was done, much to our finan- 
cial relief. The railroads did not make the speed 
then that they do now, nor was money trans- 
ferred by telegraph as now. Upon the receipt of 
the money we started for New York via the 
Great Western and Erie railroads. 

Reaching that city we registered at the Metro- 
politan Hotel, a house then largely patronized by 
returning Californians. The matter that first 
attracted my attention was the growth that had 
come to the city since I was there in 1851. The 
opera "Martha" was being played at Niblo's 
Garden in the rear of the hotel, and it "came in" 
for our patronage the first night. After a day 
or two spent in New York we separated, my 
friend going to Boston and I to Watertown, 
New York. During my stay in New York, I 
found that the commercial purpose of my visit 
had been thwarted a week before my arrival. I 
had bought in San Francisco the year before 
from the agent of Sewell & Harrison the pack of 
Billing's hams, a brand popular in California. 
I wished to buy them direct from the packers. 

16 



Calling upon them I found they had contracted 
to sell them to another only a day or so before. 

Commercially disappointed, I then visited the 
scenes of my boyhood days, which was my great- 
est wish. My father had died in November, 
1857, and upon arriving at the old homestead 
and not finding him, the full force of the sad 
news of his death came upon me. I then felt 
again, a renewal of the great sense of bereave- 
ment that fell upon me when getting the letter 
announcing his death in 1857. There is no tie 
on earth like that of a child and parent. When 
the father or mother passes away, then the past 
is largely cut off from the present and the future 
seems barren. To me it then seemed sad indeed. 
The next day I spent in Brookside Cemetery 
and contracted for a monument to be erected to 
my father's memory, and there it now stands to 
mark the spot where lay the remains of the best 
man I ever knew. He was only 74 years old, and 
should not have died then, and would not, had 
the physicians known then as much as they 
know now as to treating diseases in general and 
especially pneumonia. I was then but 30 years 
old, and I know "youth excels in keenness and 
zest," but it has at the best a tinge of anxiety 
and unrest; so it was then with me. How differ- 
ent is age ; I am now within three years of my 
father's age — "old age has a rich store of memo- 

17 



ries." Life is full of "joys too exquisite to last, 
and yet more exquisite when past." 

The first days of July I took my mother and 
a daughter of my sister Mary to Macena Springs 
in the county of St. Lawrence, where we re- 
mained some time, returning to the old home- 
stead to spend the autumn and early part of the 
winter. I went to New York City in December. 
The day I reached there the papers were given 
up largely to obituaries of three distinguished 
men, representing England, Germany and the 
United States — Macaulay, the historian of Eng- 
land; von Humboldt of Germany, the great 
traveler and scholar; and Washington Irving of 
this country, diplomat and essayist. 

In a day or so I went to Washington. Con- 
gress had convened and its discussions were 
marked by great bitterness. I went to the Senate 
daily and listened to the debates with great in- 
terest. The Helper book, which in bitter terms 
denounced the institution of slavery, had just 
been issued and circulated in some of the South- 
ern States. While I was there, John Brown 
made his raid upon Harper's Ferry in the State 
of Virginia with the chimerical purpose of 
emancipating the slaves. All this fired the 
Southern heart, and the weeks I spent in Wash- 
ington were full of exciting interest. The 
discussion on the part of the Southern mem- 

18 



bers was marked by threats and bravado, but 
the members from the North were cool, dig- 
nified and firm. Mason and Hunter repre- 
sented the South most conspicuously, and Sum- 
ner and Seward the North. I was inter- 
ested and remember very well a speech in the 
House by Tom Corwin of Ohio, who was a 
speaker full of wit and sarcasm and represented 
ably the opposition to the further extension of 
slavery in the new territories. I prize highly 
the memory of those days in Washington. The 
air was full of direful disaster that afterwards 
came. J. J. Crittenden offered compromise 
measures, hoping thereby to avert the storm that 
was to come, but the contending parties were too 
far apart to hope for a permanent peace upon 
any basis that was acceptable to both. An offer 
from the Government to pay the owners for their 
slaves was not well received, and the South made 
the declaration that they must separate from the 
North. Then they would establish a Govern- 
ment, the cornerstone of which was to be human 
slavery. This was one of the most exciting and 
interesting sessions that Congress ever held. I 
remember hearing Senator Seward predict that 
should the contention result in a war it would not 
last sixty days. He was too much of an optimist 
to judge correctly of the result of the bitter feuds 

19 



that had been growing in intensity for so many- 
years. 

After the close of that session I went again to 
the old homestead, where my mother was still 
living, and found her very well for one of her 
years, but my sister Susan (Mrs. J. P. Thomson) 
was much advanced in consumption. She had 
received a circular and a magazine published 
by the "Dansville Water Cure" under the effi- 
cient management of Dr. J. C. Jackson. The 
periodical made great promises to invalids, and 
it had so worked a hold upon the mind of my 
sister that she really thought if she could only 
go there for a few weeks she would be fully re- 
stored to health. I doubted that any treatment 
could be of permanent good to her, but I did be- 
lieve that a change from her surroundings would 
be of some benefit and might perhaps delay for a 
season her ultimate doom. The next day after 
reaching her home I said to her (a blessed 
woman), "Pack up your trunk, and get sister 
Mary (Mrs. Willard L. Eddy) to go along to 
care for you" ; as I knew she could at any time 
and any place add her full share to the hilarity 
of the occasion wherever and whatever it was. 

In a few days we started for this now well- 
known sanitarium. I remained there myself four 
months. They continued six months as my guests 
but with no perceptible change in my sister's 

20 



malady. In the following November she died. %&rC&**+&** Z 
The stay at this cure did all that could have been 
done for her, and no doubt did extend somewhat 
the period of her life; and now, at this time, I 
look back to this effort in her behalf with great 
satisfaction. We arrived there in a raging snow 
storm in February and were located in three 
rooms contiguous to each other and had our 
meals served in a private room. At the first con- 
sultation with the distinguished physician in 
chief, as the faculty delighted to call Dr. J. C. 
Jackson, he made a very favorable impression 
upon our sister. He had written a book on "How 
to Cure Disease Without Medicine"; he was a 
thorough believer in "water cure" and massage 
and a strict disciplinarian in diet. He was a 
follower of the celebrated Dr. Graham, the 
author of a book, the great contention in which 
was to show that man was a f rugivorous animal. 
The bread made from unbolted flour was named 
Graham bread, he being its original advocate. 
Jackson repudiated the use of tea, coffee, wine 
and tobacco. He would permit the use of tea by 
persons past middle life, but for others it had no 
place upon his "bill of fare." Dr. Jackson had 
the happy faculty of convincing invalids that his 
way of living was correct. He himself had been 
a great sufferer in his youth from dyspepsia and 
had so recovered that he lived to the advanced 

21 



age of 82. He was a living proof of the virtue 
of his mode of living. 

My stay here had a great influence upon my 
subsequent life, for it was in this town of Dans- 
ville, New York, that I met for the first time her 
to whom I later plighted my faith as husband. It 
was not until some time after I left, that the 
thought of marrying came to me. I went to New 
York City with a desire to make the tour of 
Europe. 

Upon reaching the Metropolitan Hotel I 
breakfasted with Hon. John H. McKinstry, 
judge of a District Court in California, who told 
me he was going to Europe the coming Saturday. 
I had just time to write to Washington for my 
passport and make myself ready to join him on 
the American steamer "Adriatic," then a fine 
new ship. A large number of passengers were 
booked to go by her, and a most enjoyable trip 
it was. It was the month of June, the pleasant- 
est in the year to cross the Atlantic. The com- 
pany was good, the ship in fine condition, and 
we made the trip in about the best time on record. 
The most voluble passenger on board and one 
that caused the most discussion was the editor of 
the Atlanta Constitution. He had been ap- 
pointed a member of a Commercial Congress to 
be held at Brussels that year. He took it upon 
himself to convince all the passengers on board 

22 



the vessel of the glory that would come to this 
country by establishing perpetually the institu- 
tion of slavery in this country. 

We touched at Southampton and at Havre, 
where we left the steamer for Paris. Reach- 
ing there, we domiciled at the Hotel de 
Louvre on the Rue Rivoli, opposite the 
Palace of the Louvre. There we met Edgar 
Mills, Romualdo Pacheco and Edwin Car- 
pentier. We formed ourselves into a party 
of inspection of the historic and artistic won- 
ders of that justly celebrated city. A few 
days after our arrival, the Third Napoleon 
returned from his Italian wars with some 40,000 
soldiers, flushed with victory and covered with 
renown. 

After a few weeks' sojourn in Paris, then con- 
ceded the most attractive city on the globe, dis- 
integration began its work among the five that 
had been "doing" the city substantially together. 
Mills, who had come to Paris via Japan and 
India from California, must move on homeward 
by going west; McKinstry, the Judge, must join 
his brother, a United States Army officer in 
Switzerland; Carpentier, who had just returned 
to the capital of France from a visit to Egypt, 
declared that a continuous stay in Paris met the 
climax of his ambition. That left remaining 
Pacheco and myself, who were the youngest and 

23 



least traveled of the party, unsettled in our im- 
mediate destination. After a few days' consul- 
tation and reflection we resolved to visit the Rus- 
sian Bear. 

Leaving attractive Paris the latter part of July, 
i860, we passed the Rhine at Strassburg, where 
we remained one day to visit the historic cathe- 
dral of that city, whose ingeniously constructed 
clock was and is among the great wonders of 
mechanical construction. Thence we passed to 
Baden-Baden, then a city where public gambling 
was conducted by authority of the Government 
and commended by public sentiment. My trav- 
eling comrade, less schooled than myself in the 
wrongs and dangers in this amusement, must try 
his hand at the game. While I, after making a 
satisfactory venture of twenty francs, retired 
from the contest, he continued until, to my great 
amazement, he came away with some $300 of the 
Government money in his pocket. I have always 
thought that it was my persisting that we "move 
on" to another town on our way to Russia, that 
saved him from a future regret at having called 
at this most fascinating city. Here the rich and 
the relatives of royalty roamed about with seem- 
ingly no purpose but to experience the damning 
effects of winning or losing — all of which had 
no charms for me. I well remember the last day 
of our stay there. It was a sultry one, and I was 

24 



spending it at our hotel reading a book, and late 
in the day in came my traveling partner with a 
loose alpaca coat on, in which were side pockets, 
and they were full of French Napoleons (twenty- 
franc pieces) in amount mentioned above. An- 
ticipating his wish to remain another day, I had 
already paid our bill, had the trunks packed and 
tickets bought for Frankfort-on-the-Main, the 
home of the founder of the great banking house 
of the Rothschilds. 

We went to Dresden, romantically situated 
upon the banks of the Elbe, in whose galleries of 
paintings are preserved the works of the most 
eminent artists, among which is Raphael's "Ma- 
donna." Next we visited Leipsic, a city cele- 
brated for cheap publications of eminent authors 
in many languages. Here I bought the Teuch- 
nitz edition (handy for the pocket) of Macau- 
lay's Essays, which were intellectual food for me 
and a diversion from the irksomeness that natur- 
ally comes to one traveling through countries 
where the people speak languages which one 
cannot understand. 

Our next stop after leaving Leipsic was the 
capital of the German Empire, Berlin. Upon 
entering the hotel at which we were to 
make our home while there, the first ob- 
ject that attracted my attention was a mag- 
nificent picture of the first Napoleon. The 

25 



proprietor had evidently forgotten the severe 
castigations his fathers had suffered at the 
hands of the man whom he had honored 
with so conspicuous a place in the Hotel 
Russe. While here we paid a visit to Potsdam, 
the home of Alexander von Humboldt, and 
bought a picture of his library and an autograph 
letter of this great man, both of which I now 
have and prize highly. He had died the year 
before, full of honors and of years. What im- 
pressed me most in traveling through Germany 
at that time was the primitive methods of agri- 
culture. The old wooden plow, drawn by cows, 
and the large number of women engaged at work 
in the fields. 

From Berlin, a fine city, we passed on to 
Stettin, a seaport on the Baltic Sea. Here there 
was a steamer line to St. Petersburg, and as 
Russia was our destination when leaving Paris, 
there was no other way. There were no railroads 
in Russia then excepting the one from St. Peters- 
burg to Moscow. A two days' sail brought us to 
St. Petersburg, the present capital, and the larg- 
est city in Russia. There we were domiciled in a 
private boarding house, presided over by a pair 
of English sisters, where our language was 
spoken, generally mingled somewhat with the 
French. This city is situated upon both banks of 
the river Neva, and the feature that impressed 

26 



me was the substantial architecture and the num- 
ber of Greek churches. The Emperor is not 
only head of the Government, but of the 
church as well. In passing across the 
bridges that span the Neva, you will see 
that there is erected at the entrance of each, 
a cross and a picture of our Saviour. The driver 
of any vehicle, before crossing the bridge, 
would express his reverence by making a sign of 
the cross upon his forehead with his fingers. 
The same would be done upon entering the 
churches. The latter were very costly and im- 
pressive. Many were embellished in the interior 
with that very expensive and beautiful marble, 
lapis-lazuli and malachite, found, I think, only 
in Siberia. 

One day we saw the Emperor review his 
army, a class of men differing much from the 
French soldiers, larger and probably of greater 
endurance. That which I think impresses us 
Americans the most when visiting Europe is the 
inevitable contrast between the simplicity of our 
free institutions with the economical administra- 
tion of government, and the pomp and circum- 
stance of Europe, where vast fortunes are spent 
in palaces and churches. One of the great pur- 
poses of this, it occurred to me, was to impress 
the common people that royalty could not only 
do no wrong, but was more nearly than all 

27 



others allied to "Him who holds the destiny of 
mankind in the hollow of His hand," and Russia 
was no exception to this condition. 

The winter palace is of immense proportions 
and great architectural beauty. 

After a few days' sojourn in the capital, 
we left for Moscow, the ancient capital of the 
Empire, and arrived there on what was then 
known in Europe as Napoleon's Day, the 15th 
of August, the day of his birth, which was 
then celebrated with more or less eclat in all 
large cities of continental Europe. This city 
has been fittingly described as at once "beauti- 
ful and rich, grotesque and absurd, magnificent 
and mean." It certainly is picturesque in the 
extreme, its thousands of spires and domes, di- 
verse in form and color. The Kremlin, the an- 
cient citadel where the populace in former years 
resorted for safety from the attack of foreign 
hordes, is surrounded by walls varying in height 
from twenty-five to fifty feet, triangular in shape. 
At each angle, is erected a massive tower from 
which the approach of the enemy may be seen. 
It is entered by five gates, to each of which is 
attached some religious or historic importance. 
The largest one, called the Sacred, no one — not 
even the Emperor — is allowed to enter without 
uncovering his head, in such veneration is it 
held. It was from the elevation of Sparrow Hill 

28 



that Napoleon saw that the Russians had set fire 
to the city and were preparing a retreat. Napo- 
leon took up his residence in the Kremlin. Parts 
of it had been fired by the Russians before they 
left. After a stay here of about thirty days Na- 
poleon retreated, after having destroyed it as 
thoroughly as he could with 1,500 kegs of pow- 
der. It was rebuilt in after years, and when we 
were there many of the old and ancient imple- 
ments of warfare were restored to it. One, I 
particularly remember, was an enormous war 
chariot, requiring, I should judge, a dozen 
horses to draw. To the axles of the wheels were 
attached long scythes, with which I presume the 
enemy was mowed down literally, or at least an 
attempt was made to do so. We made a visit to 
Sparrow Hill, from which a fine view could be 
had of the city, then having a population of a 
million and a half. Napoleon's retreat from 
here during the winter was not the "feather" 
that broke the back of his army, but it was the 
avalanche. The army that had been the terror 
of all Europe was never the same again. 

Our departure from Moscow was attended 
by a perplexing episode, liable to any one not 
knowing all he should of the requirement of 
travelers. At that time it was necessary for any- 
one leaving the borders of Russia to make it 
known through the press some days before. We 

29 



were in ignorance of this requirement, and when 
the Government diligence drew up in front of 
our hotel, and as we were about to climb up to 
the second story of this immense traveling house 
on wheels, we were summoned by the officer of 
law for a copy of the notification of departure. 
Having none, we were politely notified that we 
could not go. Then, by the intercession of our 
Consul, we were permitted to "go on," but ad- 
vised not to do so again. This, you will remem- 
ber, was only four years after the Crimean war, 
when all English-speaking people were more 
or less under suspicion of being subjects of 
Great Britain. Just then a strong feeling of hos- 
tility existed between Russia and England. 
However, when our Consul appeared upon the 
scene all was well. Then "Old Glory" did us 
great service, for which we were profoundly 
grateful. 

When we were comfortably seated in this mov- 
ing caravansary, destined for Nizhni Novgorod, 
where an Oriental fair was annually held at this 
season of the year, all was well. The road was 
cared for by the Government, and it could not 
have been better — level as a house floor. The 
greater part of the way passed through a forest, 
which afforded us ample shade, which was very 
enjoyable during the torrid days of August. At 
horse-changing stations ample time was given to 

30 



refresh ourselves with that stimulating, but not 
intoxicating, national beverage, tea. The urn, 
or samovar, was always kept warm and just in 
proper temperature to yield the most agreeable 
aroma from that much-loved plant. It is said 
that tea loses much of its flavor by transportation 
at sea. The plant mostly used here came over- 
land and hence retained all its original virtue. 
After an enjoyable ride of two days, we arrived 
at Nizhni Novgorod while the fair was at full 
blast. It reminded me of Sacramento in early 
days. Most of the people were living in tents and 
the grounds were full of covered vehicles similar 
to those used by emigrants in crossing the plains. 
Not only the goods, but most of the traders, came 
from long distances, east, west, north and south, 
by these wagons. Those coming from the Cas- 
pian region came by steamer up the Volga. 
Here, what impressed me most was the perfect 
babel of languages. At the hotel where we were 
domiciled the clerk demonstrated to us that he 
could fluently talk in seven languages. This was 
a commercial fair. All were there for business, 
exchanging the product of one country for that 
of another. Indian shawls were bartered for dia- 
monds of Africa, and English and French fab- 
rics for teas of China and precious stones and 
marble from Siberia. This I concluded was the 
most favorable spot I had ever seen for the 

31 



student of ethnology. There were representa- 
tives here of almost every race on earth that had 
attained any degree of civilization — attracted 
by the opportunity there given to make a dollar. 
Pursuing our Russian journey we took an 
English steamer running down the Volga as far 
as the Caspian Sea, expecting to take a steamer 
on the river Don to its juncture with the 
Volga, but we learned when we arrived at De- 
bofski that the water was then so low in the Don 
that no steamers were running; so the captain of 
our steamer advised us to leave at that point and 
make the trip overland to Rostof on the Azof 
Sea, our destination, this point being nearer than 
any other we would touch on the trip. Here 
was a new and unexpected adventure for us. Our 
party and a Russian commercial traveler were 
the only ones disembarking here and destined 
for the southern seaport of Russia. After some 
time spent in negotiations we at last found a 
person who would undertake to transport us this 
distance — some 200 miles. The Russian, who 
was to go with us, we found useful in getting our 
outfit, which consisted of three horses driven 
abreast, drawing a drosky. After our trunks 
were put on board there was but little room left 
for us. The Russian traveler rode with the 
driver, while we were seated upon straw in the 
bottom of the vehicle, with the trunks for our 

32 



backs to rest against. Thus accoutered we passed 
through the great wheat fields of Southern Rus- 
sia, resembling much our San Joaquin Valley. 
We made the greater part of the distance in the 
night time. The days were too hot for comfort- 
able traveling. The standard "bill of fare" dur- 
ing this trip was chicken and watermelon. This 
was before freedom was given the serfs. At a 
distance of about ten miles we came across these 
laborers in large numbers, ever ready to serve us 
with the best they had for a reasonable consider- 
ation. The last part of the journey was made 
along the banks of the river Don, which we 
often pressed into service for a bath. Reaching 
Rostof on the Azof Sea, we enjoyed the sensa- 
tion that came to me in the early days upon 
reaching Sacramento City, tired, dusty and dry. 
The old overland coach, however, was a great 
improvement over the drosky, which had no 
springs to protect one from constant jolting. The 
result to me was the formation of a bursa in the 
hamstring muscles of my right hip, a most dis- 
agreeable companion in traveling. It was more 
than four months before I became free from its 
perplexities. This was brought about by a sim- 
ple application of iodine, which readily ab- 
sorbed the water that had gathered in a sack. 
No less than a dozen doctors had prescribed for 
it, and it remained for Dr. Partridge of London 
to hit upon this simple but very efficient remedy. 

33 



After a day at Rostof we took a steamer for 
Sebastopol, stopping at several places on the 
peninsula, the most important of which was 
Keish, where Caesar wrote his celebrated letter 
to the Roman Senate, in which occurs "Veni, 
vidi, vici." Here we found the most de- 
licious grapes that I ever tasted. A short 
time brought us to Sebastopol, where we 
saw the American flag for the first time 
since we left Havre. The thrilling emotion 
it created in our breasts is not easily de- 
scribed. Then to meet a company of some 
hundred or more American mechanics and work- 
men under the command of Col. McGowan of 
Philadelphia, who had entered into a contract 
with the Russian Government to raise the ships 
that had been sunk in the harbor at the time of 
the Crimean war — this was an added and unex- 
pected pleasure. Our stay here of about a week 
was a round of festivities and pleasures that 
were mutually agreeable. They had not seen 
an American for over a year, and many of them 
had been attacked with that most worrying dis- 
ease known as "homesickness." They took us 
often over the battlefields of Balaklava, Inker- 
man and Alamo and to the tomb of Lord Rag- 
lan. It remained for the dinner given us the 
night before leaving to impress us with the sin- 
cerity of our entertainers, and I venture the pre- 

34 



diction that all that are now living will remem- 
ber it with great satisfaction. One lasting im- 
pression was made upon me, which was that I 
have never looked upon a bottle of champagne 
with the same high regard as formerly. 

The next day we left for Odessa, the great 
shipping port of the Empire. Nine tenths of all 
the wheat grown in Russia finds a market there. 
Upon reaching our inn, there was being per- 
formed the rites of the Greek church over the re- 
mains of one of their most distinguished citizens. 
The singing particularly impressed me. Never 
had I before heard at funeral services voices 
of such range and high quality. This is purely 
a commercial city. Long trains of ox-teams were 
arriving daily from long distances, bringing 
wheat. 

What an opportunity we missed through not 
getting a concession from the Government to 
build a railroad from Moscow to Odessa! Up 
to that time, i860, railroading was not generally 
a success, even in our own country. The only 
practical knowledge I had then of that enter- 
prise, which has since developed into such vast 
proportions, was the disaster that came finan- 
cially, to the great banking house of Page, Bacon 
& Co. ; the parent house belonged in St. Louis, 
with a branch in San Francsico, where I kept 
my account at the time of their failure. They 

35 



had advanced large sums of money to the pro- 
moters and builders of the Ohio and Mississippi 
Railroad. I keenly remembered that and would 
very naturally not turn a willing ear to any enter- 
prise that had brought my bankers into the 
bankrupt courts. In the next few years the 
road was built, and like our own Central 
Pacific, has proven a great financial success; 
but at that time not one of the moneyed 
men of San Francisco would consent to aid 
in the construction of railroads in this State. 
No doubt the failure of the Ohio Trust 
Company in 1857, and of Page, Bacon & Com- 
pany about the same time, brought about by 
liberally aiding promotions of new railroads, did 
have its effect in discouraging the people of this 
State in railroad building at that time. How- 
ever, I have often thought of the great oppor- 
tunity we passed by in Southern Russia at that 
time. 

From Russia we sailed to Constantinople, 
that historic city by the Bosphorus, the capital 
of Turkey, the home of Mohammed and his suc- 
cessors. This city was unlike any we had seen ; 
narrow and dirty streets, infected with dogs and 
fleas — truly Oriental. There you could readily 
see the difference between Christian and anti- 
Christian civilizations. Here the first detention 
came to us through sickness. My traveling com- 

36 



rade, since the Governor of this State, Romualdo 
Pacheco, took a bad cold in the sail from Odessa 
and it developed into the black measles. His 
face was as dark as an African's. It greatly 
alarmed me. We secured the services of a resi- 
dent English physician, who was recommended 
to us by the Master of a Lodge of Free and Ac- 
cepted Masons. We were both members of the 
order, and one evening, after visiting the lodge, 
the Master came to the hotel with me and 
brought the doctor. After the patient had passed 
the critical period of his disease, I spent some 
time in viewing the natural and artificial pecul- 
iarities of this city. It certainly occupies great 
natural advantage of location, and in the posses- 
sion of a strong power it assuredly would be 
the key to the political supremacy in Europe and 
Asia. Russia has long looked with an envious 
eye upon its possession, while England and 
France have constantly been on the watch lest 
she should acquire its control. This was the 
cause of the Crimean War. The picturesque 
aspect of the city is celebrated; but the favor- 
able impression made by the beautiful hilly 
shores, beset with villas and gardens, vanishes at 
the first glimpse of the interior of the city. 
"Distance lends enchantment to the view," 
but a near approach dispels the illusion. The 
Golden Horn divides the city. Numberless 

37 " 



bridges take you to the part of the city called 
Stamboul, where are the bazars and market- 
places. Here the merchandise of all races is 
much in evidence, and if the tourist or visitor is 
not deprived of much of his loose change, it is no 
fault of the merchants. This city presented in its 
people the two greatest extremes that I had ever 
seen of human condition — from grand magnifi- 
cence to utter squalor. The Sultan's residence, 
or seraglio, is a small walled city of itself, nearly 
two miles in circumference, including mosques, 
dwelling-houses, baths, gardens, government 
offices, the mint, arsenal and treasury buildings. 
Pera was the principal residence of the Christian 
higher classes. Here was situated the hotel in 
which we were domiciled. Here, unrivaled in 
gorgeousness, is the great Church of Saint 
Sophia, built by Constantine in 325, transferred 
into a mosque by Mohammed II, in 1453 ; built 
of light brick and thoroughly lined with 
colored marble. It is built in the form of 
a cross, 350 feet long by 236 feet wide. 
The diameter of the dome measures 107 feet, 
said, at the time of our visit, to be the 
largest known. Across the Bosphorus, on 
the Asiatic side, is situated Scutari, where 
on Sundays large numbers of people go for 
pleasure and amusement, and to imbibe what 
they call the "sweet waters of Asia." I am told 

38 



that since we were there they have built a sub- 
stantial floating iron bridge that takes the place 
of the old wooden ones between Stamboul and 
Pera. Nature has done much for Constanti- 
nople, but man little. After my traveling com- 
rade had sufficiently recovered to justify our 
taking up our forward march, we took leave of 
this dirty, dingy and anti-Christian city with no 
regrets. 

Our next destination was Athens, in Greece. 
Oh, Athens! where is the lover of learning and 
culture whose heart does not thrill at the men- 
tion of thy name? We reached Piraeus, the sea- 
port, early in the morning, and found ourselves 
four miles from the ancient and principal city 
of Attica, and now the capital of the kingdom 
of Greece. It was built around a central rocky 
height, called the Acropolis, where the visitor 
views with dismay the ruined temples, the best 
preserved of which is the Parthenon, which is 
said to have been built in the foremost period of 
Grecian architecture and under the inspiration 
of the highest genius in art. The next in preser- 
vation is the temple of Theseus. Some say this 
is the best-preserved monument of the splendor 
of ancient Athens. They both looked much the 
same to me. What trials and defeats Greece has 
passed through! And were it not for England, 
France and Russia she would be under the rule 



39 



of the Turk to-day. These powers in 1832 pro- 
claimed Otho, the second son of the King of 
Bavaria, King at Nanplia. The modern Athens 
had a population when we were there of some 
50,000. The buildings are not very attractive, 
being plain and unpretentious. 

From the classic land of Greece we passed on 
to the Island of Malta. There Mr. Pacheco and 
I parted for a while, he wishing to go on to Mar- 
seilles and thence to Madrid, the capital of 
Spain, the home of his ancestors, one of whom 
had been a distinguished engineer in the Spanish 
army under Alva in the wars with the Nether- 
lands. I preferred to go through Italy, so I took 
a steamer at Malta for Naples. I met en route 
an officer in the army of Garibaldi, who had 
been of! on sick leave and had lived in the United 
States. From him I learned much that was then 
"going on" in Italy. He was much devoted 
to his chief — likened him to our George Wash- 
ington. He told me that Garibaldi was then on 
the march through Italy, and would in a few 
days arrive at Naples, should he encounter no 
more formidable opposition than he had at last 
reports from him. Sure enough, when we 
reached Naples he was within a few days' march 
of the city with Victor Emanuel, then King of 
Sardinia. Garibaldi was seeking for a United 
Italy and to proclaim Victor Emanuel King. 

40 



Upon arrival at Naples, at the hotel Grand 
Britannia, I made the acquaintance of an Eng- 
lishman of education who had just graduated 
from Oxford. Francis II of Austria, known as 
King Bomba, the then nominal ruler of Naples, 
upon hearing of the approach of Victor 
Emanuel and Garibaldi, fled to Gaeta and shut 
himself in the fortifications with his army, but 
after a siege of a few weeks he surrendered his 
forces to Garibaldi. The last days of the siege 
we visited the attacking army. I see the Ameri- 
can Encyclopedia says it surrendered in Septem- 
ber, i860. This must be a mistake, for I was in 
Naples the day Abraham Lincoln was elected 
in November, i860, and the surrender was only 
a few days before, so it must have been the latter 
part of October. I saw Garibaldi, from the 
veranda of the palace adjoining the Las Carlo 
Opera House, crown Victor Emanuel King of a 
United Italy amid the rejoicing of a vast multi- 
tude of Italians. The city was illuminated for a 
week. The Toledo, which is to them what our 
Market Street is to us, presented a spectacle 
never to be forgotten. Buildings as well as 
streets were in a blaze of glory. 

After the festivities attending the crowning of 
Victor Emanuel King of United Italy had con- 
cluded, with my newly made English friend 
I made a tour of Vesuvius, Herculaneum and 

41 



Pompeii. We took mules and made some six 
miles over congealed lava to the base of 
the volcano, thence to the crater; the ascent 
through pulverized lava was tiresome. A 
look into the boiling and seething mass was 
calculated to give one a realizing sense of what 
must come to the sinful, if one believed in the 
teaching of the early orthodox church. The 
descent from the volcano was much easier than 
the ascent. The momentum acquired would 
readily throw one into the condition acquired 
in a Turkish bath. It was a good day's work — 
the going and coming. Some stay all night at 
the foot of the mountain. We, however, re- 
turned to our hotel. The next day we visited 
Herculaneum. When we were there they had 
been for some time excavating a theatre that had 
been buried since near the commencement of the 
Christian era. At Pompeii more work had been 
done. The streets were very narrow, eight to ten 
feet wide, in which large ruts were readily seen, 
made by the wheels of vehicles in the rock- 
paved streets. The preservation of the frescoes 
in the excavated buildings is the wonder of our 
times. It is said the material used in the arts 
then is lost to the world. Upon returning to the 
city we visited the museum, where are preserved 
the works of art found in these excavated cities. 
This is one of the great attractions to the student 

42 



of art; the finest, I think, in the world. This 
concluded our stay in Naples. The only dis- 
agreeable feature to our visit was the numerous 
beggars that beset us at every turn. 

The next day I left Naples alone, but fell in 
with General Terry, who later became famous 
in our Civil War and more so in our Indian 
wars. He was with a party which I joined for 
a few days. Our next stop was in Rome, the 
chief city of ancient Italy, ultimately the capital 
of the Roman Empire, and the capital of the 
Kingdom of Italy to-day. The last act looking 
to the establishment of the kingdom as a United 
Italy I had just witnessed in Naples, the first 
and only time in my life that I ever saw a man 
crowned king. Then occurred to me a passage 
in our own Thomas Jefferson's inaugural mes- 
sage, where he says, "It is said that man is not 
capable of self-government. Have we found 
kings in the form of angels to govern us?" 

A few days before leaving for Europe the 
physician-in-chief, Doctor Jackson of the Dan- 
ville Sanitarium, asked me what two objects in 
Europe would most delight me. I replied 
promptly, "Westminster Abbey and St. Peter's 
at Rome." He replied that I had expressed his 
own sentiment. Upon arriving at the Eternal 
City and quartering myself at a comfortable 
hotel, the first thing that I did was to employ a 

43 



dragoman and guide, all in one person. The 
first spot to which he took me was the Colos- 
seum. It was much larger than I had imagined 
it from representations I had seen in its ruined 
state. It was the most imposing of Roman an- 
tiquities ; to see it once you can never forget it. 
Excavations carried on in its interior has brought 
to light many arcades, chambers and corridors, 
some twenty-two feet lower than the level sup- 
posed to be that of the ancient arena. The gladi- 
ators' vocation was gone, and it bore the resem- 
blance to a Southern statesman's prediction to 
what would soon come to New England at the 
time of our Civil War, when he said that grass 
would grow in the streets of Boston. This is truly 
a city of churches, and at the time I was there 
they boasted of 360. To every church was at- 
tached from two to a half-dozen priests. No 
wonder it is called a priest-ridden city, and the 
devotion to the church and Catholic religion is 
most wonderful. It certainly wields a vast power 
and no doubt, among many, for good. I met a 
zealous Catholic coming one day from his 
church and got into conversation with him. Said 
he: "I would not exchange the comfort I get 
from my church for all the wealth of the world." 
And since happiness is our being's end and aim, 
why not rejoice at its presence and power? 

Prominent, probably first, among the Chris- 
tian temples of the world is St. Peter's, the 

44 



work of many popes and architects. You reach 
it by passing over the Tiber in front of the Castle 
of St. Angels; then bearing to the left you ap- 
proach it by passing semi-circular walls on 
either hand, calculated, I expect, to typify the 
pope reaching out his arms to bring his children 
into the Church, as a haven of refuge from the 
sins and sorrows of the world without. Upon 
entering it the only word that expressed my im- 
pression was "immense." Gibbon truly says, 
"This is the most glorious structure that has 
ever been applied to the uses of religion." The 
dome and interior of it is unrivaled in magni- 
tude, proportions and decorations. The frescoes 
are from the hands of Raphael and Michael 
Angelo. This is the only church on earth that 
brings pilgrims to its altar from all parts of the 
Christian world. It is connected with the Vati- 
can, the home of the pope. Upon certain days 
of the week parties are admitted into the pres- 
ence of His Holiness. I joined a party of devout 
Catholics one day and saw an aged and venerable 
man with a most pleasing expression of good 
nature. He had the appearance of one having a 
stomach "with good capon lined," whose life 
had not been perplexed with worldly care; no 
dyspepsia ever invaded his serenity, nor did a 
San Francisco steamer day ever disturb his rest. 
The halls of the Vatican are embellished with 



45 



the works of the most illustrious artists of this or 
any other age. A fitting description of St. 
Peter's and the Vatican requires an abler hand 
than mine. 

From Rome I passed on to Florence, which 
is situated in the "garden spot" of Italy, sur- 
rounded by the Apennines, where the inhabit- 
ants can look upon those "everlasting hills, 
whence cometh our strength." The river Arno 
flows through it; the larger part of the city is 
on the north bank. The river is crossed by four 
stone bridges, evidently built for all time, solid 
and massive. Here I made my stay at the Hotel 
de New York. Soon after reaching my apart- 
ments an incident occurred that rather amused 
me. 

A family from Missouri, comprising hus- 
band, wife and two stalwart daughters, were 
shown some rooms adjoining mine. The head 
of the family addressed the servant in rather 
vigorous English, not a word of which could he 
understand, "What do you ask for these rooms?" 
The lad had nothing to say. The guest then pro- 
ceeded to harangue his family in language more 
forceful than elegant, saying: "This is a d — d 
great imposition to call a hotel, the 'New York/ 
for the purpose of getting Americans into their 
hostelry, and then not able to speak the lan- 
guage." They left and I did not see them again. 

46 



This reminded me of the experience of a traveler 
in Kentucky in early days, who drove up to a 
public inn; a colored boy went out to take his 
horse, when the traveler accosted him as follows : 
"Boy, extricate the quadruped from the vehicle, 
stabulate him, donate him with an adequate 
supply of nutritious aliment and when the 
aurora of morn shall again illuminate the orien- 
tal horizon, I will reward you a pecuniary com- 
pensation for your amiable hospitality." The 
lad rushed into the house and said, "Massa, 
Massa, thar is a Dutchman out thar wants to see 
you." 

This hotel in Florence was well filled with 
Americans and Englishmen, most of whom 
could speak enough French or Italian to meet 
the necessities of travel. If not, a guide was al- 
ways at hand who could translate for you, and 
further, he could direct you to all places of in- 
terest for a reasonable compensation. Here you 
see the Cathedral Santa Maria, the dome of 
which is said to be the largest in the world. 
Opposite the front of the cathedral stands the 
baptistry, whose great bronze portals, adorned 
with bas-reliefs, Michael Angelo declared were 
worthy to be the gates of Paradise. Here are the 
galleries of Pitti and Ufizzi. They are very rich 
and extensive, containing many of the best works 
of Michael Angelo, Titian, Murillo, Rubens, 

47 



Salvator, Rossi and several of Raphael's, includ- 
ing the celebrated "Madonna della Sagiola," — a 
grand galaxy of names. From 1865 to 1871 it 
was the capital of United Italy, then it was 
moved to Rome, where it now is. 

My next stopping-place was the city of Genoa, 
the birthplace of Christopher Columbus. Un- 
inviting as this city is now, I could not pass it 
by without paying my respects to the birthplace 
of so illustrious a personage. Its agriculture is 
unimportant for want of level land, but the hills 
about are covered with vines and olive trees. 
Early in 1861 Garibaldi made it a part of the 
Kingdom of United Italy, after it had passed 
through a great variety of governmental vicissi- 
tudes. The most striking of its palaces is the 
Palazzo Dora, located in a conspicuous position 
overlooking the sea. This enjoys greatly what 
the San Franciscan delights in, "a marine view." 

From Genoa I passed on to Turin. It was the 
capital of the Kingdom of Sardinia, of which 
Victor Emanuel was king until i860, then up to 
1865 capital of United Italy, with Victor 
Emanuel King. This was the period of our 
Civil War. Cavour was Secretary of Foreign 
Affairs, an astute and scholarly statesman, lik- 
ened often to our W. H. Seward, Lincoln's great 
Secretary of State. He was one of Turin's great 
benefactors, donating to it his great library and 



48 



three million lire for a hospital, one of the 
largest of her numerous charitable institutions. 
Turin is remarkable for its fine bridges, — the 
one over the Dora forming a single arch — fine 
streets and promenades, large monuments and 
palaces, the permanent home of Cavour. 

From Turin I went to Milan. As you ap- 
proach this city you see its material condition is 
fortified with remarkably fertile soil. Unlike 
other Italian cities, Milan combines remarkable 
natural and architectural attractions with ap- 
parent comfort and prosperity, much of which is 
attributed to the rich land that surrounds the 
city. The circuit of the modern city is some 
eight miles, with a population when I was there 
of nearly a million, and it had the air of greater 
prosperity than any city I had seen in Italy. All 
the public buildings are models of architect- 
ural beauty, but they are all excelled by the 
Milan Cathedral, called the Duomo, which 
next to St. Peter's, is the largest church in Italy. 
Its construction was commenced in 1387 and is 
not yet finished, though Napoleon I gave a pow- 
erful impulse to its completion. Its carving and 
statuary, it is said, eclipse all other churches in 
the world. In the Church of Santa Maria is the 
celebrated fresco of the "Last Supper," by 
Leonardo da Vinci. The church of San Carlo 
has a dome only second in size to that of the 

49 



Pantheon and contains a marble group of the 
dead Saviour and the Virgin, by Marchesi. In 
looking upon the numerous churches you find 
in Milan and contemplating the money value 
they represent, which stands for the sacrifices the 
devout Catholics have freely made, you are im- 
pressed with the sincerity of their belief. This 
city abounds also in charitable institutions, 
which possess property to the amount of forty 
millions. One of them was shown me that had 
two legacies, respectively, of $600,000 and 
$1,800,000 from private individuals. The 
theaters and theatrical entertainments are nu- 
merous and excellent. The La Scala can accom- 
modate between three and four thousand people. 
This city was equally renowned in the sixteenth 
century for its elegance and tastefulness of its 
finery, and became noted as a leader of fashion in 
Europe, — so much so that the English word 
"milliner" originated from "Milaner," an im- 
porter of fashionable articles from Milan. The 
rule of Austria was brought to a close just before 
I was there in 1859. The Austrian troops evac- 
uated Milan after the battle of Magenta. Na- 
poleon III and Victor Emanuel made their entry 
into the city June 8th. A few days after this we 
saw Napoleon III, in commemoration of this 
event and the part he played in this compaign, 
review his army in the Champs de Mars. Italy 

50 



ceded to France Nice and Savoy; so, as the boys 
would say, you see, "Napoleon III was not there 
wholly for his better health." 

After Milan, Venice. This city is unlike any 
other that I had ever seen, — built upon a number 
of islands; communication is kept up by some 
one hundred canals. The city in general is 
divided by one main canal larger than any other, 
which is spanned by a number of bridges. The 
largest of these is called the Rialto, on either 
side of which are found shops, one of which I 
patronized, where the lineal descendants of Shy- 
lock are much in evidence. Tradition claims 
this as the veritable spot occupied by that most 
exacting member of his race. It had a popula- 
tion when I was there of over a hundred thous- 
and. The most attractive spot to the casual vis- 
itor was the Piazza of St. Mark's, upon one side 
of which is located the Doge's Palace, which is 
connected by a covered bridge with the prison. 
The trial of criminals was held in early times in 
a room in the palace, and should the prisoner be 
found guilty of a capital offense according to 
their law, he was compelled to cross this bridge, 
where a trap door would open by passing over 
it. The body of the person would fall down to 
a certain point, when a knife would strike his 
neck, separating the head from the body, and 
then down it would fall into a gondola awaiting 

51 



it below in the canal. On one side of this piazza 
is a building devoted to the care of a large num- 
ber of pigeons, and exactly at midday they make 
their appearance for their daily meal. They are 
cared for at the public expense and are held in 
great veneration. Many people gather on the 
opposite side of the square to view this ceremony 
and take their own midday meal. The gondola is, 
no doubt, an enjoyable method of moving about 
in warm weather. There are some four thousand 
in all of these somber-looking craft. In accord- 
ance with an old regulation they are painted 
black. I was there the last day of December 
and must say I did not much enjoy the chill and 
humidity of the atmosphere while cruising about 
the city. The Doge's Palace contains the mag- 
nificent hall of the Great Council, now used as 
offices of the Provincial authorities, answering 
to our Board of Supervisors. It has other mem- 
orable rooms with embellishments and works of 
art by the most illustrious masters. 

On December 30th I left for Trieste, where I 
remained one day. Previous to the building of 
the Suez Canal this city had a large trade with 
India, but since then it has lost much of it. The 
buildings of the Chamber of Commerce are 
about all I now remember of this once important 
commercial city. 

From here I took the railway for the city 
of Vienna, stopping at the Cave of Adelsburgh, 

52 



where I passed its entire length, some four miles. 
This is a favorite summer resort of the "well-to- 
do" and members of the royal household of 
Austria. From here to the capital of the empire 
I encountered an immense snow storm that de- 
layed us some hours — no snow plows to facilitate 
the clearing the way, but instead, a large multi- 
tude of men and women were engaged in shovel- 
ing away the snow. Such a scene I never saw be- 
fore or since. This convinces one that the great 
motive power of Continental Europe is the 
human muscle. It may not be cheaper than 
steam or electricity, but it must be employed and 
fed, lest a revolution break out that might en- 
danger the perpetuation of monarchial power. 

I reached Vienna in a most violent snow 
storm and remained there a part of two days 
to usher in the New Year of 1861. The in- 
clemency of the weather was not inviting. I saw 
their greatest cathedral, St. Stephens, and the 
opera house. The church is a fine specimen of 
Gothic architecture, and I was surprised to find 
that upward of nine tenths of the inhabitants 
were Roman Catholics. The people of Vienna 
are great lovers of music, as their fine opera- 
house attests. 

The severity of the weather and the dreary 
monotony of traveling alone, made me long for 
a return to Paris, where I knew and could meet 

53 



many Americans, and better, could find some 
Californians, to whom I was more closely allied 
in interests and in hopes. Made but one stop in 
going to the French capital, which was Munich. 
Of its remarkably fine works of art I had heard 
much, and in all of which I was not disap- 
pointed. Upon entering one of their galleries of 
art I saw the portrait of Lola Montez, a person 
who had been conspicuous as a singer and dancer 
in the '50's in California. The Bavarians are 
largely Catholic, a very industrious and frugal 
people. 

From Munich I went direct to Paris. When 
I reached Paris early in January, 1861, I found 
a great change in the climate and the appear- 
ance of the city — cold and quiet compared to 
what it was in June and July, i860. Found 
no Californians whom I knew but Edward Car- 
pentier, and he seemed very glad to meet me 
again. The summer gayety had passed, and the 
winter's had not yet commenced. The threaten- 
ing political disturbances at home gave me a rest- 
less feeling and I was anxious to move on. My 
few days' stay here concluded with a dinner at 
"Vafours," the Delmonico's of Paris, and when 
bidding adieu to my friend Carpentier, whom I 
had first met in the summer, he passed over to 
me a draft for $2,000 on Baring Brothers' bank- 
ing house, with a request that I deposit it to his 

54 



credit with them. Then I took my leave of that 
city that had been the scene of so much gayety, 
glory and grief. 

On my way to London I fell in with an Eng- 
lish gentleman just returning from the Island of 
Capua, where he met Doctor Partridge, an 
eminent surgeon of London, who had been 
called there to consult with other surgeons for a 
wound received in the Italian wars of Gari- 
baldi; and to him I made known the affliction 
that had followed me all the way from the plains 
of Russia, occasioned by that long ride in the 
non-elastic drosky. He gave me the distinguished 
surgeon's card and advised me to call on him in 
consultation. I had little expectation that he 
could do me any good, but to my infinite delight, 
after the third application of iodine, the pain all 
passed away. Before this I must have received 
prescriptions from at least a dozen doctors of 
high standing in their several places of abode, 
with no favorable results. In London I was ad- 
vised to stop at the Adelphi Hotel, on Adams 
Street, just off the Strand, opposite the Adelphi 
Theatre, at which Boucicault was playing the 
"Colleen Bawn." He had played it over three 
hundred nights consecutively at the time of our 
visit. 

Mr. Pacheco, who had traveled through Ger- 
many and Russia with me, arrived in London 

55 



H 



a day or so after I had. He domiciled himself 
at the more fashionable house, "The Morbeys," 
but after a visit to me at the Adelphi, he came 
there also: From here we daily went forth to 
see the varied and substantial wonders of that 
great city. 

Of no small assistance to us at the time was a 
cousin of mine, whom I had not seen for many 
years, who had resided in London for some time 
as the London correspondent of the New York 
Herald. He had written a book upon his travels 
in Iceland and upon the postal laws of England, 
also a text-book upon mnemotechnics. It was 
rare to find a man with greater versatility of tal- 
ent thajiJPlinj Miles. He was just the kind of 
person who could be of great service. He took 
us first to the Tower of London, the Houses of 
Parliament, Westminster Abbey, St. Paul's and 
Buckingham Palace; then a sail down to Green- 
wich for a fish dinner (whitebait) . Parliament 
was to convene on the 13th of February. Get- 
ting tickets from our Minister, George M. Dal- 
las, we were permitted to witness that august 
ceremony and listen to the Queen's address, 
which that year she delivered in person — an 
unusual custom. The coming May she would 
be forty-four years old. She had a kindly ex- 
pression of countenance, was well-preserved and 
in the full vigor of life. I could not wonder that 

56 



the English people so dearly loved her. The 
Queen's address was short but distinctly de- 
livered. 

The day before the meeting of this Parlia- 
ment, the State of South Carolina had seceded 
from the National Union of States, and in pre- 
senting the card from our Minister the door- 
keeper sarcastically remarked that "he hoped 
we were not from South Carolina." This was the 
culmination of our great apprehension. What 
can we next expect? was in all minds. The cere- 
mony of opening for a season's work the greatest 
deliberative body upon earth was soon over. 
Disraeli was Prime Minister and Gladstone was 
there in the full vigor of his mental strength; 
no debate at that time — a simple reference to the 
Queen's address to the proper committee — and 
we withdrew. The news from home made us 
more uneasy than ever, and we set about at once 
getting ready to return, and on the 19th of Feb- 
ruary we sailed from Liverpool for Boston. 

En route to Liverpool, my cousin, Plinji Mjles^ 
accompanied me as far as Stratford-on-Avon, 
where we were entertained by a friend of 
his who was one of the original builders of the 
Illinois Central Railroad — a perfect specimen 
of John Bull. The small churchyard that holds 
the ashes of the great poet and dramatist was 
reverently looked upon, and after a dinner upon 

57 



the Nob Hill of this small town, I bade adieu to 
my relative for the last time. A few years after, 
he died upon the island of Malta on his way to 
witness and write up the opening of the great 
Suez Canal. We arrived at Liverpool on the 
morning of the day we were to sail on the Cun- 
arder "America," a staunch vessel. Had no time 
to see this great commercial emporium, but 
could not fail to admire its substantial docks and 
ample shipyards and all the needed requirements 
for its immense commerce. 

Our homeward Atlantic voyage from Liver- 
pool was a great contrast to our trip over in 
June on the "Adriatic," it being rough and 
stormy. I was rarely at the table; while going 
over, never missed a meal. This is accounted 
for by the difference in the season of the year. 
The steamer going over was crowded with pas- 
sengers, gay and hilarious, while upon the return 
they were sedate and serious, though mostly com- 
mercial travelers. 

We peached Boston with satisfaction March 
i, 1861, after a very boisterous passage. Such 
kind of weather displayed in me very poor qual- 
ities as a sailor. We were both delighted when 
we came in sight of Bunker Hill monument and 
again realized that "There stands a memorial of 
the past, a monitor to the present and to succeed- 
ing generations of men." When the customs of- 
ficers came on board our ship we realized for the 

58 



first time what a glorious policy would be that 
of free trade. Mr. Pacheco had an aunt living 
in Liverpool who had sent in his care two large 
boxes of dress goods to her nieces in California. 
Neither of us had the least idea of the value or 
quality of these goods, — unused to the skill of 
travelers or the proper modus operandi of 
treating with Uncle Samuel's agent or the need 
of supplying ourselves with a consul's certifi- 
cate as to value of these goods at point of ship- 
ment. However, we^puxsued the usual way of 
all mankind in doing that for which they have 
no especial training, — submitted to what the 
agent of the Government demanded. This is a 
very easy way, but would surely end in bank- 
ruptcy unless fortified by an exhaustless 
bonanza. However, after settling the require- 
ment of the law as interpreted ex parte, we had 
enough money left to pay a hackman to take us 
to a hotel. After a good dinner on land we soon 
forgot all our financial troubles. In the evening 
I looked up the Hollis Street Church, where 
Thomas Starr King, the celebrated Unitarian 
divine, held forth. The size of the church and 
the number of the audience were to me a disap- 
pointment. I concluded that there he was not 
appreciated. 

The next morning, which was the second day 
of March, I started out to raise money to take us 
to New York City, where I had funds awaiting 

59 




me. Succeeded in finding a Bostonian whom I 
had known in San Francisco, who very kindly 
relieved us of our pressing necessities. Took the 
Boston, Hartford and New York Railroad, 
which passed through New Haven, where my 
brother Joseph was living and had been installed 
for some years in the practice of law. At that 
time he was unmarried. Upon looking him up 
and entering his office, I found hk p&sfcM^ex-^ 
Judge Foster, who told us he was "out We$t" , 
on some business far iLy^ &sm ; met there a young 
attorney whom I had met when he was a student 
in college in 1851 on my way to California, and 
a college chum of Joseph, Homer B. Sprague. 
I recognized him at once, and after a pleasant 
chat for a few hours we passed on to New York. 
When we reached New York we stayed at the 
Metropolitan Hotel for one night; the next day 
went to Philadelphia on our way to Washington 
to witness the inauguration of President Lincoln. 
After reaching Philadelphia and getting our 
dinner, I suggested to my comrade that we visit 
a person who had called on me in London by the 
name of Calhoun, whose card, with the number 
of the street, I had. This man called at the 
Adelphi Hotel in London, sending in his card. 
I returned it, saying I knew no one by that name 
and suggested that there must be some mistake. 
He sent the boy back with the message that while 

60 



he did not know me, he had some dear friends in 
California he wished to inquire about. I then 
gave him an audience, found him an intelligent 
and well-appearing person, claiming to know 
many people in California I knew. After spend- 
ing the evening, and just as he was about to go, 
he said he was to leave the next day for Liver- 
pool on his way to Philadelphia, and he wanted 
to get a loan of four pounds (twenty dollars) 
which he claimed the sudden calling of himself 
home required. I was then more susceptible to 
the blandishments and sophisms of newly made 
acquaintances than now. I accommodated him 
with the amount. So now, I hunted up his card 
upon which was the number of his house in the 
best part of Chestnut Street, Philadelphia. 
Upon reaching his pretended home, I was kindly 
received by a Mr. Randen, who told me that I 
was one of some twenty others who had called 
upon the same errand during that winter. He 
told me his wife was a Calhoun, but had no 
knowledge of the person whose card I had. As 
the amount was small and many others had fallen 
into the same trap, I concluded the lesson was 
cheap at the price. 

The next morning, the 4th of March, 1861, 
with Mr. Pacheco, I started for Washington. 
Some Southern papers had predicted a resist- 
ance to the inauguration of the President. He 

61 



was obliged to pass through Baltimore disguised, 
lest some sympathizers with the South might 
assassinate him. He reached Washington on the 
23d of February and stayed at Willard's Hotel. 
At midday on the 4th of March he delivered 
his inaugural address and proclaimed his Cab- 
inet. We were within a few feet of the President 
when he took the oath of office and delivered his 
inaugural. It was in the open air, he standing 
upon the east portico of the Capitol, in front of 
which was an ample space for the accommoda- 
tion of a large number of people. Chief Justice 
Roger B. Taney, robed with the insignia of his 
office, approached the stand, leaning upon the 
arm of the President, followed by all the mem- 
bers of the Supreme Court in their full official 
garb. Accompanying them were many mem- 
bers of the Upper House of Congress, in that 
simplicity of dress befitting an American Sen- 
ator. Most conspicuous were Sumner of Massa- 
chusetts, Seward of New York, Douglass of 
Illinois, Foote of Vermont, John P. Hale of New 
Hampshire, Wilson of Massachusetts, Chase of 
Ohio, Latham of California, Johnson of Ten- 
nessee and E. D. Baker of Oregon. This made 
a gathering of the most distinguished men of the 
Nation — all of whom I recognized. The scene 
was strenuous and pathetic. Standing by our 
side was a large party of zealous Southerners. 

62 



At the conclusion of the sentence in the message, 
when the President declared with great empha- 
sis "That there would be no war unless you your- 
selves are the aggressors, for you have taken 
no oath to destroy this Government while I have 
this day taken one to preserve and defend it," 
they said in a loud and angry voice, "Does he 
mean war? If he does we will give him all he 
wants of that;" indicating that they were bent on 
giving our country trouble, which they certainly 
did. This party was evidently representative 
Southerners. At the conclusion of the reading 
of the message we returned to Willard's Hotel, 
where we saw the retiring President, Buchanan, 
escorted through Pennsylvania Avenue to the 
railroad station, preceded and followed by a 
platoon of police. The streets were dusty and 
no small share of dust had gathered upon his 
person, giving him a sad and forlorn appear- 
ance. He presented a most dejected look, evi- 
dently convinced that he was retiring from his 
great office and the Capital of his country with 
but a small share of the honor and respect shown 
when he came to it. In the evening we attended 
the inaugural ball held in the Patent Office 
Building, which was crowded to its full capacity. 
The President came into the dancing room with 
Mrs. Charles Sumner of Massachusetts, while 
Mrs. Lincoln was leaning upon the arm of Sen- 

63 



ator Sumner immediately behind them. Then 
soon the sound of revelry began and continued 
until a late hour. The military and navy with 
their brilliant costumes were everywhere in evi- 
dence, while distinguished representatives of leg- 
islative and civic life were not wanting. Hilarity 
ruled the hours. Who would then have thought 
that the whole country would have been in arms 
in ninety days — one section of our common coun- 
try arrayed against the other, with a bitterness 
and a ferocity rarely equaled in the world's his- 
tory of wars, but so it was to be. 

My goods and my interests were in California, 
and where they are, will one's heart be also, so 
I set my face westward. I spent a week in 
Watertown, New York, at the old homestead, 
and some days in Dansville where I had spent 
some months very pleasantly immediately before 
leaving for Europe, learning much from the 
physician in chief of the sanitarium at that place, 
and touched by the hospitality of the people. 

Then, after a day or two spent at New Haven 
with my brother Joseph, I returned to New York 
and took passage upon the steamer "Champion," 
leaving New York on the first day of April, for 
San Francisco. Joseph came on to see me off, 
and we found a family from Dansville there to 
bid me bon voyage. With us was a choice class 
of passengers. Among them were Senators M. 

64 



S. Latham of California and Joe Lane of Ore- 
gon, General Naglee and General E. V. Sum- 
ner, whose presence was unknown to us all until 
we were going into the Golden Gate, when he 
came out of his room in a major-general's uni- 
form. His unexpected appearance caused much 
speculation as to his purpose. When we went on 
shore it was promptly revealed, and the Evening 
Bulletin — which was an ardent Union journal — 
gave it fully to the public. It seems that just 
before we left New York a Californian had 
come overland to Washington, giving the Presi- 
dent the information of a contemplated plot by 
Southern sympathizers in San Francisco to 
seize its fortifications and carry the Coast over 
to the Southern Confederacy. Then he quietly 
appointed General E. V. Sumner to succeed 
General Sydney A. Johnson, a native of the 
South, who was in command here and in full 
sympathy with Southern purposes and intentions. 
This was a clever and well-executed scheme on 
the part of the President to thwart the designs of 
the South to add this Coast to their power of 
resistance to the perpetuity of the Union. 

The evening of our arrival Senator Latham 
spoke from a hastily prepared platform at the 
corner of Montgomery and Market streets. In 
his speech he discussed both sides of the question, 
and it required the genius of a "Philadelphia 

65 



lawyer" to determine whether he was for or 
against the Union; he was soon convinced that 
no more equivocal speeches would be tolerated 
in California, for on the next day he went to his 
home in Sacramento, where he came out for the 
Union in no doubtful language. Mr. Latham, 
though born in the North, had lived some time in 
the South before coming to California, and the 
mint juleps he imbibed there somewhat weak- 
ened his backbone for the Union cause. The 
Southern people were a social and chivalrous 
class, and once within their influence it was hard 
to resist their personal and fascinating ways — 
supported, as they were, with the peculiar insti- 
tution that enabled them to amass a fortune read- 
ily by growing cotton, which the entire world 
wanted, by a labor that was cheap and readily 
procured, but its saddest feature was the de- 
moralization of the young planter and poor 
whites of all ages. Almost the whole Christian 
world at that time had condemned the institution 
of slavery; hence their cause was regarded as 
forlorn by all clear-thinking people. We arrived 
in San Francisco on the 24th of April. On the 
19th of April a Massachusetts regiment on its 
way to Washington was fired upon in going 
through Baltimore, and that day the first life was 
given to the cause of the Union. 

Upon my return to California after two years' 

66 



absence, I could see great changes. A city of 
great business activity in 1859, tne great mining 
development, and the significant military move- 
ment had greatly added to its commercial im- 
portance. During my absence the great 
Comstock lode in Nevada had been dis- 
covered. The early years of my life in 
California had been devoted to mining and 
commerce. The first object that engaged my 
attention was what was to be the effect of 
the then impending war upon the trade on 
this Coast. I had formerly imported turpen- 
tine from the East; the price here then was low, 
and should the war continue any length of time 
it would certainly have the effect to advance the 
price of that article materially. As it all came 
from the seceding States, I could not make up 
my mind that the Southern people were so fool- 
ish as to wage a war in which there was so much 
for them to lose and so little to gain. I did learn, 
however, that the passions of men when thor- 
oughly aroused, control their actions in despite 
of their reason, which is a great lesson for a 
young man to learn, as well as to strive not to be 
of the blind majority. The motto to "Keep cool 
and go slow" is useful for men of affairs. 

Upon my arrival I took up my home at the 
"Oriental Hotel," located at the corner of Bat- 
tery and Bush streets. This was the headquar- 

67 



ters largely of the military as well as the men of 
affairs. Here I met many men who had just 
come from the Comstock lode. An old mer- 
chant, Mr. H. G. Blaisdell, whom I had 
known for some years, called on me. He had 
just returned from Nevada, where he had been 
for some months, having, as I thought and be- 
lieved, studied well the Comstock lode and its 
prospects. My affairs here were then in the 
hands of an agent, Mr. Asa T. Lawton, a mer- 
chant of rare sagacity and shrewdness. He was 
largely interested in merchandise at that time, 
but had made no money the past year, and he 
advised me to go over to Nevada and look the 
ground over there and examine the mines. All 
that I had heard confirmed the advice, and I 
decided to act upon it promptly. 

Arriving at Virginia City, I found great activ- 
ity. The Ophirwas taking out large quantities of 
good ore, ranging from $25 to $80 per ton. The 
mine was producing far more ore than they had 
milling capacity to work. This condition of 
affairs was favorable for the establishment of a 
mill to reduce ores. So a co-partnership was 
formed to build a mill. I was invited to join by 
H. G. Blaisdell, the merchant heretofore men- 
tioned. He was a man of unquestioned integ- 
rity and was later on Governor of the State of 
Nevada. The other partners were W. H. 

68 



Graves and O. F. GifTen. A very substantial 
mill was built in the Seven Mile Canyon, just 
below the town of Virginia City* When com- 
pleted, we found that it had cost far more than 
the millwright had estimated. We started in 
with the belief that a sixteen-stamp mill could 
be built for some $17,000, and when it was com- 
pleted and thoroughly equipped, we found we 
had invested nearly $50,000. It was, however, 
the most thoroughly built mill in the territory at 
that time, and when it started up we were proud 
of its action and full of hope. I came to San 
Francisco, leaving Blaisdell and Graves in 
charge. There soon developed great dissimilar- 
ity in tastes, habits and judgment between these 
two men. Governor Blaisdell was a zealous 
Methodist, a strict constructionist of the com- 
mand that "Six days shalt thou labor and the sev- 
enth shall be given to the worship of thy God." 
He could tolerate no work or even repairs about 
the mill on Sunday, while Graves had never been 
a churchman. The latter was a great admirer of 
the horse, and Sundays would find him behind a 
fine team of horses, driving over to the sulphur 
springs, some ten miles from the town, and while 
there, indulging the belief that his system re- 
quired a liberal tonic of the produce of the Blue 
Grass region of Kentucky, known as Old Bour- 
bon whisky. He returned one Sunday evening to 

69 



the mill and found that the boilers had not been 
cleaned of the scale that generally gathered 
upon them during the week's run. This would 
require the loss of most of the following Mon- 
day. The water there was very hard and full of 
alkaline properties that formed a scale of great 
tenacity upon the tubes of the boilers. When 
Mr. Graves reached the mill Monday morning 
and found the mill idle, there was an "irrepressi- 
ble conflict" between the churchman on the one 
hand and the one who was not an advocate of 
the Maine liquor laws on the other. Our prop- 
erty was in great peril. He immediately tele- 
graphed me in a very inflammatory-worded de- 
spatch to come at once to Virginia City. After 
consulting with our other partner, Mr. Giflen, I 
started for Nevada with sad forebodings. Upon 
my arrival at Virginia City, I found that our 
belligerent partners had declared an unarmed 
truce. Their weapons of warfare so far had been 
confined to the tongue. From reports given me 
by citizens of the town, that instrument was used 
in a manner rarely excelled in bitterness by Mr. 
Graves, while Mr. Blaisdell preferred to submit 
his case without argument. This was wise for 
him, as I found public sentiment was running 
largely in his favor. These two men were very 
much unlike in physicial condition. The future 
Governor was six feet and three inches and well 

70 



proportioned, while Graves was five feet and five 
inches. These two men were the promoters and 
projectors of this enterprise. Mr. Giffen and 
I knew really but little about it. I placed great 
reliance upon the integrity and judgment of Mr. 
Blaisdell. In debating this enterprise while in 
San Francisco, I called them the "long and the 
short" of the copartnership. I heard both sides 
of the dispute, but their methods were so diverse 
that there was no possible likelihood for a recon- 
ciliation. Then I suggested that one buy out the 
other, "for a house divided against itself cannot 
stand." I found that Mr. Blaisdell had then no 
money, while Mr. Graves had, so I obtained an 
option from the one who could not buy and sub- 
mitted it to the one who could. After a few days' 
negotiation, which was carried on very pleas- 
antly (for I was then a friend of both and wished 
in the interest of all that as little bitterness as 
possible should continue after this transaction 
was concluded), Mr. Blaisdell retired from the 
concern well satisfied, and Mr. Graves was 
equally content. 

The transaction was a fortunate and happy 
one for all. Mr. Blaisdell invested his money in 
the Potosi mine and in less than a year had made 
$100,000. Mr. Graves had a half-brother then 
at work for the concern, who developed into a 
very capable manager of its affairs. I remained 

71 



some months at the mill, in town and at another 
mill, upon which Mr. Wm. Freeborn and my- 
self had loaned Geo. N. Shaw, an old San Fran- 
cisco merchant who was then building a mill on 
Carson River, $20,000, with an option when the 
mill should have been completed to accept fifty- 
one one-hundredths of the property in satisfac- 
tion of our mortgage. Mr. Shaw was a man of 
great confidence in the Comstock lode, and time 
demonstrated that he had a very proper and cor- 
rect estimate of its ultimate value. Had he only 
bought what he could have paid for and awaited 
the developments of time he would have been a 
very rich man; instead of that he soon tele- 
graphed us "I am at the end of my tether — come 
up." Having contracted for more than he could 
pay for, his creditors were pressing him and the 
mill was not completed. He then proposed to 
deed the mill over to us in its uncompleted condi- 
tion, in consideration of the loans then owing us. 
He had himself invested some $20,000 in the 
property at that time. We accepted his proposi- 
tion, giving him a right to redeem the property 
by paying us back all we were to advance in 
completing the mill, i. e. the forty-nine one- 
hundredths of the mill, land and water-rights, 
for the $20,000 already invested. We proceeded 
to complete the mill at a cost of nearly $20,000 
more, and when finished it was a fine property, 

72 



with large prospective earning capacity. Mr. 
Freeborn was in the city and had sold the prop- 
erty to Mr. Polheirtos of Alsop & Company, the 
owners of the Mexican mine, which was then pro- 
ducing great quantities of good ore. The price to 
be paid was $80,000, conditioned upon its coming 
up to the representation of my associate. A Mr. 
Dorsey, a mill and mining engineer representing 
Alsop & Company, was on his way to Virginia 
City to examine and accept or reject the property 
on their behalf, when he was caught in the great- 
est snow storm that had at that time ever been 
known in those mountains and was detained at 
Strawberry Valley for a week. After snow ceased 
falling, a warm rain set in that caused a tremen- 
dous flood on the Carson River, upon which the 
mill was situated. I was at the mill in person 
during this flood, and with the aid of twenty men 
was striving to save it from being carried down 
the stream. I succeeded after a week or so of 
hard struggle, in digging on the east side of the 
mill a ditch which would divide the waters and 
divert them from coming in immediate contact 
with the mill. This resulted in saving the prop- 
erty from being carried away from its founda- 
tion, but the dam and ditch were washed away 
and large quantities of earth were brought down 
from some distance up the river and lodged in 
the place where the dam and ditch were located, 

73 



and so filled in the head to the dam that the 
water-power we had formerly, of eighteen feet 
fall, was reduced to two, which rendered the 
power practically of no value. In a country 
where wood was worth $16 a cord, water-power 
was eagerly sought for at high prices. This 
great flood was a sad calamity to all concerned, 
especially for Mr. Shaw, who took to his bed 
afflicted with sciatic rheumatism, and in a few 
days died, leaving an estate utterly bankrupt. 
Mr. Dorsey, the representative of Alsop & Com- 
pany, would have bought the property but for 
the damage done by the flood. In the then con- 
dition of the property it would not bring near 
what we had advanced upon it, and the house of 
Alsop & Company declined to make an offer 
for it. 

My partner, Mr. Freeborn, had met reverses 
in some mining speculations in the then territory 
of Nevada and remained personally in San 
Francisco, leaving this unfortunate venture alone 
with me. He was what might be called a kid- 
gloved miner. I think he never came again to 
the territory. I kept a watchman on the property 
for some months, until the spring and summer 
had fairly opened. During this time the cred- 
itors of Mr. Shaw became clamorous for their 
pay, especially the material men, who had sup- 
plied him on his personal credit while in posses- 

74 



sion of the property, and at last the house of 
Smith & Day, the lumber men, sued for some 
$3,500, and obtained in the Supreme Court of the 
territory a judgment against us for that amount. 
Then other creditors threatened suit, but I said 
to them all that this action was to be appealed to 
the Supreme Court of the United States. 

After consulting attorneys, I found there was 
no provision in the then existing laws for an ap- 
peal from a territory to the Supreme Court of 
the United States. Single handed as I was, for 
Mr. Freeborn had lost his power of defense, I 
resolved to go on to Washington and procure the 
passage of an "Enabling Act," permitting the 
appeal of causes that had been passed through 
the courts of the territory, to the court of last re- 
sort in this country. When I arrived in Wash- 
ington I found Nevada had been admitted as a 
state, and one of my attorneys, W. M. Stewart, 
and Governor Nye had been sent on as Senators 
from the State of Nevada. I took my brother 
Joseph of New Haven, Conn., then a practicing 
attorney, to Washington, and he prepared the 
bill, with the assistance of the Hon. Mr. Worth- 
ington, then a member of Congress from Nevada, 
Mr. Kernon of Utica, New York, and Mr. Am- 
brose Clark, who represented the district in 
which I was born, in New York State. 

After persistent and continuous work for two 

75 



months, it passed the House of Representatives, 
and with the assistance and zealous co-operation 
of Senators Foster of Connecticut and Reverdy 
Johnson of Maryland, it was brought before the 
Senate, where it met the opposition of Senators 
Nye and Stewart. The latter had been our at- 
torney in all this transaction, and in others of no 
small magnitude, in corporations in which I was 
largely interested, and to find that he was oppos- 
ing the passage of this law that I was seeking to 
have passed, to save me from his blunders and 
legal advice, gave me an opinion of him that no 
time will ever efface. However, it became the 
law of the land, having passed the House by a 
large majority and the Senate by 43 to 23. I had 
employed a Mr. Carlisle, an attorney of high 
standing in Washington, to present our case to 
the Supreme Court. He could easily have had 
the case reversed were it not for some fatal errors 
in the transcript of the papers in the case from 
the courts of Nevada, which I have always be- 
lieved were brought about by the cupidity and 
neglect of our attorneys in Nevada, of which 
Stewart was the senior member. We paid this 
judgment and then found that the statute of 
limitations had protected us from further annoy- 
ance from the creditors of Geo. N. Shaw. 

I then proceeded to find a customer for the 
mill, which I did in the Ophir Company, whose 

76 



mine was then producing large quantities of ore 
of good quality. They paid us $20,000 for the 
property that had cost us nearly $40,000, besides 
nearly $20,000 that Shaw had invested. So we 
see what a destructive element is water when be- 
yond control — as bad as fire, though different — 
it can destroy realty, while fire can only destroy 
personal property. However, I charge the 
deficit to experience account and the act of 
Providence. 

During all this trying time I had contributed 
my full share to the administration of the affairs 
of the mill owned by Giffen, Graves and Shel- 
don. This was a steam mill located not more 
than a half mile from the Ophir and Mexican 
mines. We had bought some ore of the Ophir 
Company, and found we could make a good 
profit by working it in our mill. I came down 
here to see the company's president, Mr. Bland- 
ing, by the advice of the superintendent, with a 
view of buying all the ore they had upon their 
dump, some 25,000 tons; offered them $15 per 
ton, while we were giving them $20 in lots of 100 
tons. Stockholders were clamoring for increased 
dividends. I found that I could buy the entire 
body of ore they had out of the mine if I could 
have paid cash for it. This would involve $375,- 
000, which was beyond our ability to reach. We 
could have made easily and safely $250,000 by 

77 



the transaction. Had I had the financial grasp 
that time and age have given me, I would have 
approached some of our Michel Reeses, Nicho- 
las Lunings or John Parrots to assist me in this 
transaction, which was equivalent to buying $20 
pieces for $12.50. However, we bought all we 
could pay for at $20 per ton. It soon became 
noised about what we were making, and then 
new mills began to spring up like mushrooms, 
and in a few months the competition was so great 
and the company themselves had so increased 
their own milling capacity, that the price of ore 
was advanced to a figure that forbade much 
profit in working it. 

The flood had filled most of the mines of 
Gold Hill with water and had destroyed their 
old and primitive methods of raising the ore 
from the levels. We found one concern which 
had a valuable mine in Gold Hill embarrassed 
by the losses on their mill at Carson River. They 
approached us to buy their mine. They had 
suffered great loss by the flood, both at their mill 
and mine. Theirs was a water-power mill. 
After a few days' negotiating we bought the mine 
located at Gold Hill for $75,000. This was the 
best bargain I ever made. The owners were 
Stewart, Hening, Morgan and Wood. We spent 
some $5,000 in sinking a new shaft and in open- 
ing up the mine in good shape. After working 

78 



the old ledge down some fifty feet, from which 
we had taken out all the mine cost us, it nar- 
rowed down and was finally cut entirely off by 
a strata of blue clay, through the seams of which 
water would percolate, highly impregnated with 
silver sulphurets. The foreman reported to me 
at the office of the mill at 2 o'clock one morn- 
ing that the old ledge was likely, in a day or two, 
to entirely disappear. One of the owners of an 
adjoining mine soon arrived at the office under 
the influence of liquor, utterly demoralized. I 
was in no condition of mind to treat with civility 
a man in his condition. Then I realized most 
thoroughly the uncertainty of a miner's life in 
the world of affairs — from great expectations the 
day before, to utter disappointment. That night 
will never be forgotten by me, and it did have 
great influence upon my future desire for mining. 
This, together with the experience here had with 
the Shaw mill investment, brought me to the con- 
clusion that "riches will take wings" at a livelier 
speed in mining than any other venture that I 
had known. 

My first move was to consult an old Mexican 
by the name of Meldenado, who was running an 
arrastre at the Ophir mine. He had large ex- 
perience in the silver mines of Mexico and South 
America. I took him to the mine, and as soon 
as he tasted the water that came from the seams 



79 



in the blue clay he danced about, throwing up 
his hat, declaring that the richest ore that was 
ever found was at the source of this water. We 
immediately set men at work running a drift 
east of the old workings, and after going some 
fifty feet, we opened up a body of ore, showing 
no free metal, but one mass of black sulphurates 
exhibiting evidence of having been subjected at 
some time to great heat. The rock was utterly 
disintegrated. Taking a few handfuls of this 
matter I found that it assayed ten thousand dol- 
lars per ton. What a contrast to the feeling I 
had about a week before when the foreman re- 
ported at near midnight that he had lost the 
ledge or would in a day or so! 

Gififen and Graves were then in San Fran- 
cisco. I wrote them the condition of the mine 
with this new development and sent them sam- 
ples of the ore. 

Before this new discovery became generally 
known, I bought sixteen feet of ground adjoining 
for eight thousand dollars per foot, one-half of 
which the concern took and the other half was 
sold to ex-Judge Joseph Baldwin, who then be- 
came one of our partners. He was the most 
genial and humorous man I ever knew, had writ- 
ten a book called the "Flush Times of Alabama" 
that I had read and enjoyed very much. It was a 
sure cure for dyspepsia. Then soon came a prop- 

80 



osition from Harrold and Hamilton and a Mrs. 
Col. Ormsby, who owned mining ground next 
to ours, to join our mine and mill with their 
properties in an incorporation, and in a few 
weeks we formed a corporation known as the 
"Empire Mill and Mining Company," with 
O. F. Giflen as president and George R. Spin- 
ney as secretary. Then we bought another mill 
just below Gold Hill. This greatly increased 
our capacity for working the ore. After the 
incorporation of the company, we placed the 
stock upon the San Francisco Stock Exchange, 
where it took high rank at once. After our or- 
ganizing into a joint stock company, Mr. Robert 
N. Graves, who had the confidence of all, was 
placed in charge of the property as super- 
intendent. 

Soon afterwards, I w T as physically disabled 
by an attack of rheumatism and went to Paso 
Robles Springs. After remaining there for a 
few days I was summoned by Giffen and Graves 
to go to Virginia City, where the title to some 
eight feet of our ground was threatened by a 
man by the name of Killip, who claimed he had 
acquired his pretended rights from a person who 
declared he had loaned the money to Wm. M. 
Stewart with which he bought the ground, and 
"set up" that Stewart was acting for him. There 
were arrayed against us ex-Judge Heydenfeldt 

81 



and E. H. Gould of San Francisco. The case 
was brought before Judge Mott, then presiding 
judge of that district. The press had given some 
notice to this pretended claim and a suit was 
threatened. So we, anticipating this attack upon 
our title, brought suit as plaintiffs to quiet our 
title to this ground. Before the mine had as- 
sumed great value no serious claim was set up 
or much mention made of Killip's pretended 
rights. Messrs. Stewart, Hening, Morgan and 
Wood had given us a guarantee bond at the time 
of purchase, protecting us against this talked-of 
claim, but after this new development we con- 
sidered their bond inadequate to compensate us 
for the damage that might accrue to us should 
the suit result adversely, so we prepared for a 
vigorous prosecution. The first thing I did upon 
my arrival upon the ground was to employ Gen- 
eral Chas. H. S. Williams, who then stood pre- 
eminent as an advocate before a jury. Asking 
him what he would require as a retainer, he 
responded, "ten thousand dollars." I replied, 
"Is not that a little salty?" whereupon he 
promptly responded, "I am a salty adviser." 

A few days before the cause was set for trial, 
I went to Mr. Williams's office and learned he 
was over at Washoe City, where the Ophir Com- 
pany had their reduction works, some six miles 
from the town. Going over there to see him, I 

82 



found him at a grocery in no condition to appear 
before a court with judicial power, but instead 
was pre-eminently a proper subject to be passed 
over into the hands of the managers of an 
"inebriates' home," his voice incoherent and his 
garb slimy. He had our ten thousand dollars 
and we had not his services as an advocate ; had 
heard, however, that he was subject to these 
"spells." I went back and reported to his associ- 
ates who, when the day arrived for the trial, 
made an application for a postponement of some 
thirty days on the ground of the infirmity of 
Williams. The presiding judge had a "fellow 
feeling for members of the profession afflicted 
with that kind of ailment, as he was at times sub- 
ject to like attacks. However, when the second 
day's sitting approached, Attorney Williams was 
at his office looking like a Roman Senator. What 
a transformation! from the lowest specimen of 
mankind to the highest. When he appeared at 
the trial, and all through the trial of the cause, 
no just criticism could be visited upon him; and 
in ten minutes after the conclusion of Williams's 
argument and the charge of the judge, the jury 
returned a verdict in our favor. We never heard 
of Killip again. 

During the lapse of time since my experience 
in Nevada, I have learned that the best way to 
avoid litigation is to see well to it that competent 

83 



attorneys, both in legal attainment and character, 
be employed to pass upon all titles, and at 
times it is well to be protected by title insurance 
companies. After my return to this city, I came 
to the conclusion that I had earned exemption 
from a further life in Nevada, and have not been 
in Virginia City since. Upon my return to San 
Francisco I went again for a considerable stay at 
Paso Robles Springs, having left the majority of 
my mining stock with my bankers and employed 
a broker to sell it with reasonable dispatch. After 
the sale of the larger part of it I came to the city 
well exempt from rheumatism. The stock was 
paying forty dollars a share monthly and I was 
selling the stock and had sold some for from a 
thousand to eleven hundred dollars per share. 
When incorporated, we made sixteen shares the 
equivalent of every foot of the ground, so we re- 
ceived in the ratio of sixteen thousand dollars for 
each original foot of ground that went into the 
corporation. At that time it was the highest price 
that had ever been paid for ground on the Corn- 
stock. As the first purchase was made at two 
thousand dollars per foot, this afforded a reason- 
able profit. Some ten years after the Consoli- 
dated Virginia reached a higher price. I am, I 
think, justly proud of the high credit the con- 
cern held before, as well as after, the incorpora- 
tion. It was after I left that it consolidated with 



84 



the Imperial, and now its identity is lost. I think 
it was a mistake of the Empire owners to con- 
solidate, for none of the ground taken in with this 
last company ever produced as much, nor was 
the expense of working it as little. In working 
the ore and in administering its affairs I never 
made any personal charge nor did I ever receive 
a cent for personal services. 

Soon after I had sold the most of my stock in 
the Empire Mill and Mining Company, I be- 
gan looking about for some permanent invest- 
ment. The first purchase I made was the south- 
east corner of Kearny and Commercial Streets, 
owned by the French banking house of Pioche, 
Bayuerque & Company, then in liquidation. 
During the years 1854 to 1857, I had roomed on 
Kearny Street, but upon the side opposite this 
property, and on Saturday afternoons was much 
in my room and was impressed with the perma- 
nent value of this property by the throng of cus- 
tomers going and coming to the block. The City 
of Paris dry goods store, Nathan & Company, the 
glass and crockery dealers, and another dry goods 
house by the name of Rosenthal & Company 
were located on the east side of the street, 
while I was on the west. This purchase proved 
all that I expected; it has never been vacant 
during the nearly forty years I have owned it. 
The next purchase I made was on Washington 

85 



Street, running through to Merchant. This has 
continued good income paying land, but has de- 
preciated some from what it was at one time, but 
would now bring nearly what I paid for it. 

The next was the most fortunate purchase I 
ever made — the southeast corner of First and 
Market streets. It has advanced many fold; 
I have added expensive improvements to it, and 
now regard it as my best monument. Have 
never done anything as good in the way of in- 
vestment of a permanent character. I bought 
lands on Howard Street, and during these times 
was daily in contact with mining men and the 
mining stock market; so at last in the month of 
September, 1864, 1 concluded to go East and per- 
haps remain there until at least I was weaned 
from again desiring to embark in mining. The 
vicissitudes of fortune that had come to my 
neighbors led me to consider whether it was 
wise for me to risk what I really needed, to get 
what I did not want. 

Early in September, 1864, I left San Fran- 
cisco for New York via Nicaragua, on the steam- 
ship "Moses Taylor," Captain Blethen com- 
mander. She had a small number of passengers. 
The only person I knew excepting the com- 
mander was a Mr. Faulkner, who was an im- 
porter of printing material and publisher of the 
first paper in San Francisco, so he told me. The 

86 



day before I left I made Mr. N. C. Fassett my 
agent, who at that time stood deservedly high as 
a merchant. He, however, became a disappoint- 
ment to me in after years. The trip was unevent- 
ful. The captain was very fond of the game of 
draughts, to which he invited me almost daily. 
I soon found I was no match for him in skill or 
adroitness. I had to console myself with being 
number two in that strategic game. Upon arriv- 
ing in New York, remained a few days at the 
Metropolitan Hotel, but found that the Cali- 
fornians had changed their patronage to hotels 
farther up town. 

I was then approaching thirty-five years of 
age. Knowing that seventy was alloted to man, 
I found I had thirty-five remaining. I had 
passed through perils of life and fortune, had re- 
turned to my native State with health and a 
modest competency. I felt somewhat like adopt- 
ing the resolution of Omar, the son of Hassan, 
to never depend upon the smiles of princes — 
to never again expose myself to the artifices 
of courts and never to pant for public honors 
nor disturb my quiet with the affairs of State, 
but to cultivate a serenity of mind and "peace 
that passeth all understanding." I believed 
this purpose could be better achieved by 
allying myself in marriage with one whose 
mind might be brought to run in channels not 

87 



unlike my own. Those were days of deep 
thought and meditation. After a few days' stay 
in New York I left for Dansville, New York, 
where I found a person meeting the require- 
ments pictured to myself. Remained there a few 
weeks, during which time I engaged to marry 
Miss Agnes Welch, regardless of the admonition 
of "Punch" or the negative advice of Socrates. 
The 25th of the coming October was fixed upon 
as the time to consummate this engagement. 
Then I went to Watertown, New York, to visit 
my mother and look upon the old farm and 
homestead which has always had a charm for 
me, fully appreciating a remark I once heard of 
Henry Clay's, that "Wherever we are, beyond 
the ocean or beyond the mountains, our hearts 
will turn with an irresistible fondness to the spot 
that ushered us into existence." I thought at 
first that I would buy the place, impressed with 
the sentiment that "remote from cities lived a 
swain unvexed with all the care of gain," but 
concluded afterwards that I was soon to have a 
partner to consult — and who was not a swain — 
and looking about for the comrades of my youth 
and finding that most of them were either dead 
or had moved away, soon abandoned the thought 
of making this place my permanent home. I 
went in a few days to New York City and met 
there another Benedick, like myself from Cali- 

88 



fornia, who was soon to marry one of the fair 
daughters of Maine. We of course had much 
in "strict confidence" to say to each other, which 
of course our wives will never know; most of 
which in the "battle of life" we have forgotten. 
This much I do remember: We congratulated 
and condoled with each other alternately, for it 
is a well-known philosophical fact that not only 
felicity but misery likes company, for we were 
each about to wager the largest stake that ever 
comes to man in his entire earthly career. We 
were doing this too, in the full maturity of our 
powers, with our eyes wide open, for we had 
not passed near to the midway station of life as 
idle observers, but fully conscious of the respon- 
sibilities we were about to assume. 

After purchasing a few presents for our com- 
ing brides we separated, he going to New Eng- 
land and I to western New York. Soon there- 
after the appointed day arrived which was to 
play so important a part for our weal or woe. 
It was a charming sunshiny day, that twenty- 
fifth of October, 1864. Many were the predic- 
tions that the elements were emblematic of the 
felicities that would follow from that day's 
doings. 

A little episode occurred after the services in 
the "little church around the corner," and while 
the refreshments were being served at the bride's 

89 



home. An old lady rushed up to me unknown, 
saying in a most pathetic tone, "Now, do take 
good care of her." It brought to my mind a 
similar request I had heard recited by men from 
our former slave-holding States when a faithful 
servant was sold from Virginia to go to New 
Orleans. I was from far-off California, whose 
people at that time were regarded, by many in 
the East, as not very much of an improve- 
ment over the slave trader. The stories written 
for the Eastern papers giving most blood-curd- 
ling accounts of murders, horse-stealings and 
hanging for theft, and the necessity for Vigilance 
Committees gave some semblance to the belief 
that Californians were a pretty hard congrega- 
tion of "bad boys." I could not blame the solicit- 
ous matron. Soon the time came that was to sep- 
arate practically forever the lives of Agnes and 
her parents. We took the Erie Railroad for Buf- 
falo and Niagara Falls, where we remained some 
time enjoying the autumn days of that latitude, 
the beauty of which has already become his- 
toric. At the commencement of the November 
rains we moved on to New York City. Arrived 
there the day before the election for a second 
term of Abraham Lincoln to the Presidency. 
We made our home at the Everett House, corner 
of Fourth Avenue and Nineteenth Street, where 
we remained for the winter. 

90 



From my youth up I have had an insatiable 
desire to be doing something. I am like the rest- 
less sea, the ebb and flow of which illustrates my 
constant desire to be on the move, I am of that 
nervous temperament that forbids protracted 
and continuous study, so essential to the life of a 
scholar; so, after a month or so devoted to the 
observation of the very phenomenal growth of 
New York City since I first saw it, I called upon 
the house of David Davis & Company and 
Sewall, Harrison & Company, with whom in 
former years I had done some business, and after 
a few days' consideration, bought for the San 
Francisco market a considerable quantity of 
bacon and lard; therefore, soon found myself 
studying closely the prices of these articles both 
in New York and San Francisco, and the ex- 
pense of transportation. The war was then being 
fiercely prosecuted and the price of gold fluctu- 
ated greatly, so that became an object of study, 
as the goods were bought for currency and sold 
for gold. 

I continued this export business during the 
years of '65 and '66, and during this latter year 
came out to California. Sold out and closed that 
enterprise with a small profit. The local pro- 
duction nearly supplied the necessities of the 
trade ; the demand for Eastern goods was small. 
Came out on the steamer with Adam Chabot, the 

91 



first engineer that the Spring Valley Water Com- 
pany employed in their works. He had in view 
then the construction of the Contra Costa Water 
Works and invited me to join him. This was one 
of the enterprises where my caution got the bet- 
ter of my judgment. 

After selling what merchandise I had in Cal- 
ifornia and on the way, I returned to New 
York and joined a company in making gas from 
gasoline, the refuse of petroleum. Mr. Hiram 
Maxim had invented a process by which he 
manufactured gas at a nominal price, and there 
was a large demand then for lighting country 
hotels and manufacturing concerns located in 
isolated places away from all coal-gas com- 
panies. For some time the enterprise promised 
great success. The right to make the machine in 
California was sold for $35,000, and other terri- 
tory was being negotiated for when a fire took 
place in one of the large hotels where this gas was 
used. That caused the insurance companies to 
decline taking further risks upon buildings 
lighted by this gas, and thereafter the trade was 
limited, and I sold out with experience instead 
of profits as my reward, which is often the case 
in our "battle of life." The inventor, Mr. 
Hiram Maxim, was the most remarkable man I 
ever knew for keenness of thought and activity of 
mind in any matter of a mechanical character. 

92 



A few years afterwards he went to London and 
brought out a rapid-firing gun for which the 
English people paid him a million dollars, and 
later he was knighted Sir Hiram Maxim. He 
is a native of the State of Maine and a most re- 
markable man in his specialties. 

In July, 1869, 1 again came to California, sum- 
moned by the illness of my brother Bishop, who 
died while I was on the way hither; hence, never 
saw him again. He was our mother's favorite 
son, and I think never had an enemy; was better 
by far to all mankind than to himself; but few 
nobler men ever lived on this earth than Bishop 
Sheldon. He was the second son of the five in 
our family. Worldly affairs were no specialty 
of his, but in kindly fellowship and brotherly 
love he had no superior. Love to God and love 
to man was his religion and was exemplified in 
his daily intercourse with mankind. I never 
expect to look upon his like again. I remained 
here some weeks and then returned to New 
York. This trip was made by railroad, the first 
made in that way. Had made trips by water 
via Panama, Tehuantepec and Nicaragua. 

I returned the day after the celebrated "Black 
Friday." This was a memorable day in the 
finances of Wall Street. Jay Gould and James 
Fisk had engineered a successful campaign in 
railway shares. Then they turned their attention 

93 



to gold that was selling for from 40 to 60 per cent 
premium, when all at once they bid it up to 200, 
and then in an hour advanced it to 280, when the 
price suddenly fell to 160. This was a day of 
the most intense financial alarm that was ever 
experienced in that street, whose history is re- 
plete with wonders and astonishments. The day 
I reached New York, Wall Street was strewn 
with financial wrecks. The possibility of such a 
sudden and material advance in the price of gold 
justly alarmed merchants and bankers, whose 
business daily required the purchase of gold for 
remittance to Europe to meet their maturing 
obligations. Public sentiment ran strongly 
against Fisk and Gould. That the business of the 
country should be menaced by two financial 
brigands (as many called them) filled all with 
amazement. 

To prevent the recurrence of such a condi- 
tion, the following session of Congress autho- 
rized the Secretary of the Treasury to sell gold 
in such amounts as he deemed best to avert 
another such possibility. A period of great spec- 
ulation followed this event. By this operation, 
Fisk and Gould had become financially very 
strong and continued for some years a great 
power in American finance. Imbued with the 
fever of speculation that then pervaded all 
classes, I joined in a modest way for a short time 

94 



that mad throng that daily visited the scenes of 
the stock and gold exchange rooms. I have never 
regretted it, for it was a school to me, but would 
never advise any one with a temperament unlike 
my own to do so. To make it more prudent for 
me I had had some experience in similar ventures 
in San Francisco. 

The event of the most thrilling nature that 
came to my notice was the day Commodore Van- 
derbilt had bought as he supposed, a controlling 
interest in the Erie Railroad, at the time Daniel 
Drew was president and manager. Mr. Drew, 
not wishing to lose the control of a property the 
manipulation of which was a great bonanza for 
him, conceived the idea of over-issuing the 
amount of common stock of the company; and 
when it became known in the street that Mr. 
Vanderbilt's bank and brokers had to compete 
with the product of Drew's printing press, which 
he was sending to the stock exchange, there en- 
sued a panic in this stock and the price fell 
rapidly from 90 to 40 in a few hours. Mr. 
Drew fled to Jersey City to avoid the service of 
papers, accusing him of a felony under the New 
York law. He remained in exile for some 
weeks. After a settlement was effected between 
these parties, Mr. Drew returned to his old 
haunts of speculation, shorn of much of his 
power. The following year Jay Gould caught 

95 



him largely short of Northwest Railway shares, 
which caused his financial doom, and a good 
lesson it was to all found on the bear side of the 
market. 

The next exciting scene that I experienced was 
a panic brought about by the great fires at 
Chicago and Boston. I had no interest in the 
market at this time, but the financial wrecks were 
many and numerous. It demonstrated to me 
that the only sure and safe way to improve one's 
financial condition in Wall Street was to await 
these panics that were often occurring, then to 
buy good sound securities and await a change in 
the condition of the country. The next and last 
experience I had was the failure of Fisk & 
Hatch, the financial agents with Jay Cooke of 
the Central Pacific and the Northern Pacific 
railroads. This occurred in 1873, and is 
known in financial history as the panic of that 
year. This was the most far-reaching of any 
financial disturbance since 1837. The country 
had built railroads far beyond its needs. The 
shares of the Northern Pacific had been dis- 
tributed throughout the country. Almost every 
bank in the East and Middle West had been 
given a commission to sell the shares and bonds 
of these railroads. Hence, when a moneyed 
stringency fell upon New York City they could 
not obtain relief from the country banks. The 

96 



large commissions given them for placing these 
securities absorbed most of the surplus of the 
banks. I was out of the city at the time of this 
panic and had no interest in the market. When 
such bankers as Howes & Macey, Jay Cook & 
Company, Fisk & Hatch, who had made large 
sums of money placing the Government loans 
during the war, together with a number of trust 
companies, failed, naturally there came about 
a serious decline in all securities, especially all 
those whose earning capacity had not been well 
established. I immediately went to New York 
City and found the Stock Exchange closed for a 
day or so, thus enabling members to adjust settle- 
ments as far as they could. Took dinner the day 
I arrived with Mr. B. Hinckley, of Hinckley, 
Spiers & Hayes, now owners of the Fulton Foun- 
dry and Ship Building Works, San Francisco. 
Mr. Hinckley had been on the bear side of the 
market for some time, and after this dinner I 
went to his rooms, and assisted him in adjust- 
ing his affairs, which showed that he had made 
three quarters of a million by the decline of 
securities. He had sold short. I pleaded with 
him earnestly for some days to abandon this haz- 
ardous business and go back to California and 
invest his money there, for I believed it would 
be a long time before the country would recover 
from this shock to its affairs, especially in the 

97 



East and Middle West. I did not convince him 
to my way of thinking, and in less than two years 
he had lost all he had, and the last I heard of him 
he was a poor man. I had invested some money 
in land and mortgages in Watertown, New York, 
and in a promising manufacture of sewing ma- 
chines. I exchanged the unproductive lands for 
the latter stock and then, on the second day of 
January, 1874, started for California with my 
family, the first time they had ever been here. 

Upon my arrival in California I found my 
affairs were needing my personal attention. My 
agent was largely interested in mines and wheat 
at that time, and in the following year he failed 
for a large amount, owing me but a small sum 
in comparison to what he would have owed me, 
had I not returned when I did. The Bank of 
California failed at the same time, which created 
similar conditions in a smaller way to those I 
had witnessed in New York in 1873. The fail- 
ures here were caused by a sudden decline in 
mining shares that had been advanced to an ab- 
normal price. I had kept true to my promise 
made in 1864 to have nothing further to do with 
mining. 

At the time of the failures of the Bank of 
California and my agent, Mr. N. C. Fassett, 
I was engaged in building 417 and 419 Market 
Street. The bank with which I was then doing 

98 



business was not disturbed by these failures, 
hence I completed these improvements without 
financial embarrassment. I had made a loan 
during this time to the agent here of the sewing 
machine company (The Davis) , the manufacture 
of which I was interested in as a stockholder, and 
it resulted in my having to take all the stock and 
bills receivable he had hypothecated with me as 
security for this loan. Not finding a ready buyer 
for this property I continued the business some 
years ; at last found an opportunity to sell in 1886, 
making it nearly ten years before I was relieved 
from the most perplexing, but, at times, promis- 
ing business. The principal in this transaction, a 
Mr. Warren, and Mr. Sherwood, his agent, 
proved themselves most ungrateful. They re- 
sorted to methods the most vicious, to perplex 
and annoy me. They ultimately found that the 
way of the wicked, as well as the transgressor, 
was hard; they both died prematurely and des- 
titute, as well as their attorney, ex-Judge Tyler, 
who before his death was disbarred from prac- 
tice in any of the courts of this State. He told 
me, however, before his disbarment that he was 
induced to take this case against me, by the most 
flagrant misrepresentation of the facts. 

After the sale of my sewing-machine business 
to the Samuel Hill Company, I took steps for 
the erection of a five-story building on the south- 

99 



east corner of Market and First Streets, and rais- 
ed the building at 417 and 419 Market Street 
one story to conform to the corner, making a 
building 91 :8 x 137%, as substantial as any in the 
city, and in the lapse of fifteen years it has fully 
come up to my expectations as a dividend paying 
property. This building was constructed in 
1886, and the whole of it was under lease before 
its completion; and now, 1901, it is yielding a 
larger income than ever. Have had many tempt- 
ing offers for its sale, but have resolved to hold it 
as long as I live. 

During my rather busy and active career have 
seen large fortunes made and lost. The two that 
I well knew and which illustrate the great dis- 
parity of fortunes were D. O. Mills and W. C. 
Ralston. In 1862 I was invited to join them in 
organizing the Bank of California, but I de- 
clined. Our mine at this time was producing 
large amounts of bullion, which we sold to 
Donohoe, Ralston & Company. Disagreements 
as to methods of doing business brought about the 
dissolution of this concern, and then Mr. Ralston 
organized the Bank of California with D. O. 
Mills, then of Sacramento, as president; while 
Mr. Donohoe, associating with Eugene Kelly, 
opened up the banking house of Donohoe-Kelly 
Company. The Bank of California, which was 
under the almost sole administration of Mr. 



100 




SHELDON BUILDING 
Corner Market and First Streets. Reconstructed 1908 




SHELDON BUILDING 

Before and after fire of 1906 



Ralston for some years, did the larger part of the 
business for the Coast, and it also had an immense 
commercial business. The phenomenal pros- 
perity of the bank led Mr. Ralston into ventures 
not in harmony with legitimate banking and 
they led to serious disagreements between Mr. 
Mills and Mr. Ralston, which resulted in the 
latter's buying out nearly all the interest Mr. 
Mills had in the bank. Then Mr. Ralston's 
management of the concern was autocratic, and 
in a few years the most of the capital and sur- 
plus that it had at the time of the retirement of 
Mr. Mills, were entirely swept away and the 
bank failed. The day the bank closed its doors 
Mr. Ralston went over to North Beach, and 
throwing himself into the ocean closed his 
earthly career. I was offered that evening 
$100,000 of its stock for $10,000 of its bonds, 
so great was the apprehension that the personal 
liability would exceed that sum on that amount 
of stock. I declined having anything to do with 
it. It would have been a safe and paying venture 
for me, but I was skeptical of the value of the 
assets of the bank. My experience with Ralston 
as a banker was not calculated to inspire confi- 
dence in him as such. After Mr. Mills sold his 
interest in the bank, he went forward as a finan- 
cier and amassed one of the largest fortunes in 
the country. What a contrast in the lives of two 

101 



men of equal opportunities when the Bank of 
California was first organized! 

In March, 1893, I sold all interest I had in 
stocks in the East and gave to my oldest brother, 
a year afterwards, the farm I owned in Redfield, 
New York, and in the year 1899, the month of 
June, incorporated the Mark Sheldon Company, 
since which, my time has been given up to its 
management. 

Soon after coming here from the mines in 
1852, I received a letter from our Uncle Sewell 
Kendall, of Boston, n< .. brother of Am os Kenda ll, 
w ho was in the c a binet nf Genrr il J ackson^ in 
which was a letter to Doctor Gray, the Uni- 
tarian minister here, but formerly of Boston. 
My uncle earnestly urged me to attend the 
preaching of Dr. Gray, which I did, and have 
almost continuously since attended this church 
and contributed to its support. My father and 
mother were Universalists, and to this church 
and society my youthful mind was directed. 
Most all of our neighbors were either Method- 
ists or Baptists. We had a union Sunday-school 
at the school-house on my father's land, and I 
well remember one day a Methodist neighbor 
of ours expressed great concern to me person- 
ally for my almost certain doom to a sulphurous 
hereafter, should I continue to attend the minis- 
trations of the Rev. Pitt Morse, the Universalist 

102 



(?) 




pastor, who stood dservedly high in all north- 
ern New York as a biblical scholar, pastor and 
gentleman. I continud to hold that "Love to 
God and love to man" is the highest type of re- 
ligious thought. The difference between the 
Universalists and the Unitarians was once given * L\ 

by He nty . Ward ■ Bo ech o r : ""That God," Hw^W*** ' "// 
Universalist held, "was too good to doom any of 
his children to eternal punishment," while the 
Unitarians held that "His children were deserv- 
ing a far better fate than everlasting damnation 
from God the Maker and Father of all." B*. 
J n hn^ n j T th 1D -^ ; was F*gkt when he said, "For 
modes of faith let zealots strive; he can't be 
wrong whose life is in the right." 

In politics, my father was a Democrat, and we 
children imbibed the doctrines of that party 
from the Albany Argus and Watertown Jeffer- 
sonian; however, my first vote was the only one 
ever cast with that party, and for its candidate, 
Franklin Pierce, in 1852. This was the last year 
that the Whig party presented a candidate, and 
that honor was given to Gen. Winfield Scott. 
Upon its dissolution, the Republican party was 
organized, and ever since I have allied myself 
with its principles and teachings. The first 
Presidential campaign I have any recollection 
of was that of 1836, when Martin Van Buren ran 
against Gen. Wm. H. Harrison, and the former 

103 



was elected. The Democrats were called for the 
most part Jackson men. It was during the last 
year of Gen. Jackson's administration that the 
Van Buren and Harrison contest was waged. 
The administration of Gen. Jackson was ren- 
dered conspicuous by his veto of the bill renew- 
ing the charter of the United States Bank, 
a measure earnestly advocated by the Whigs, 
as the opposition to the Democratic party was 
then called. That question became the leading 
issue in the campaign of 1836, and the opponents 
of, the bank charter succeeded and Mr. Van 
Buren was elected. The advocates of this 
charter renewal were stigmatized as Tories, the 
last time that name was applied to any party. 
I well remember, being then seven years old, 
that we boys would call an old refractory and 
balky horse — one that would stand without hitch- 
ing, given to us to haul stones from the plowed 
fields — old gray "Tory," It was during the Van 
Buren term of four years that the great monetary 
panic of 1837 t0 °k place — the most serious and 
wide-spread of any the country had ever suffered 
from. The administration of Mr. Van Buren 
was charged with wanton extravagance. Then 
followed the campaign of 1840 with the same 
names as leaders of the two great parties. This 
contest I remember most vividly. Up to this 
time, there had never been, and rarely since has 

104 



been, a Presidential election "carried on" with so 
great fierceness. Almost every school district 
in our part of the country had its political clubs, 
and when Nathaniel P. Talmage, the United 
States Senator, came to our town to speak, there 
never had before been such a large gathering of 
voters. He was a well-known Whig representa- 
tive. Farmers came to town with eight or ten 
yoke of cattle hauling an enormous wagon upon 
which was a log cabin, a barrel of hard cider and 
"coon" skins, typical of the frontier life of the 
farmer Harrison, the Whig candidate for 
President. 

The depression in business that followed 
the panic of 1837 contributed largely to the 
great vote given to the Whig party in 1840. The 
party in power always suffers if the monetary 
affairs of the country are disturbed. So radical 
a change from the system of Government banks 
to the Sub-Treasury system created distrust for 
the moment, though it developed a much safer 
and a more reliable method. The old banking 
system became the means whereby charges of 
corruption were brought against the party in 
power, while the Sub-Treasury method of 
handling the finances of the country was a great 
improvement over the old system. It did con- 
tribute somewhat, no doubt, to the defeat of the 
party in power. 

105 



President Harrison only lived thirty days 
after his inaugural, being succeeded constitution- 
ally by John Tyler, the Vice-President elected 
with him. He caused great consternation in the 
Whig party by his veto of their pet measure, the 
United States Bank Charter, upon which the 
election had been contested. He was stigma- 
tized by the Whig party press and prominent 
leaders as a traitor and a renegade. During the 
nearly four years of Tyler's administration the 
country had become reconciled to the Treasury 
system as far better for all concerned than the 
old United States Bank, so at the end of Tyler's 
administration there were to be found but few 
advocates of the old United States Bank; there- 
fore, it no longer became an issue in party 
division. The bitter discussion of this question 
among the Whigs had alienated many from the 
ranks of this historic party. 

When the campaign of 1844 approached, the 
Whigs were not as strong or as well organized as 
four years before. They rallied, however, their 
forces again under the leadership of their most- 
beloved and magnetic leader, Henry Clay, of 
Kentucky. His manner, his voice and his oratory 
were rarely equaled. He was chairman of the 
African Colonization Society, the object of 
which was to gradually deport the slaves to 
Africa. This made him very strong with the 

106 



opponents of the extension of slavery to new ter- 
ritory. The Democrats nominated James K. 
Polk of Tennessee, who had been a member of 
the Lower House and its speaker. But a small 
part of the voters in the North had ever heard of 
him. The inquiry was often made, "Who is 
James K. Polk?" He was elected by a majority 
of 38,000 of the popular vote and 65 of the 
electoral to the great chagrin and mortification 
of the Whig leaders. The leading question at 
issue in this campaign was the tariff. The Dem- 
ocratic party pleaded for a tariff for revenue and 
incidental protection, while the Whigs declared 
for one of protection clear and simple. 

In our State, that of New York, the contesting 
parties were represented in a debate that at- 
tracted the whole country, by Horace Greeley on 
behalf of the Whigs and the high protective 
tariff, while the Democratic party was repre- 
sented by Silas Wright, then United States Sen- 
ator from that State and its candidate for Gov- 
ernor. His was the first great speech I had ever 
heard, and to this day I remember his opening 
sentence, viz.: "I am frequently called upon by 
my fellow citizens to e&mrrm vnlh ^the m abo ut 
our ]»0sp%fr ar institut ions." Then he passed 
illustrate the benefits and advantages o 
for revenue only and the dangers that would 
come to the country by adopting a tariff for pro- 

107 




tection alone. Horace Greeley answered the Sen- 
ator in the columns of his Tribune, in a masterly 
and exhaustive paper, that became the text for 
representative speakers of the Whig party 
throughout the country. I listened to one and 
read the other; trained in the political school of 
Democracy, and my father being a personal 
friend of Wright, I thought he must be right. 
Our family were zealous partisans. 

The Democratic party divided into two great 
factions at the next State election, called the 
Barnburners and Hunkers. Silas Wright and 
Samuel Young led in the former and Horatio 
Seymour and Wm. L. Marcy the latter, and at 
the next Presidential election had two candi- 
dates. 

During the latter part of Polk's adminis- 
tration, less concern w r as given to the question 
of the tariff than that of territorial acquisition. 
Whether or not it should be given over to the 
exclusive use of free labor or should be divided 
among the slave and free alike. The annexation 
of the State of Texas with its institution of 
slavery was a triumph for the South. This, how- 
ever, soon followed with a dispute over the 
boundary line between the State of Texas, then 
one of the States of the Union, and Mexico. 
This was followed by the war of 1846, between 
the United States and Mexico, which resulted 

108 



in the annexation of California, Arizona and 
New Mexico, under the Treaty of Peace at 
Guadalupe Hidalgo. General Taylor was the 
hero of this war and the Whig party took him 
up as their candidate for the Presidency in 1848, 
and the Democrats nominated General Cass of 
Michigan. There soon developed strong oppo- 
sition in the party to Cass's nomination and the 
platform upon which he was to stand. The con- 
vention had rejected a resolution committing the 
party to the dedication of the new territory re- 
cently acquired to freedom and to the exclusion 
from it of human slavery. This resulted in a call 
for a convention to be held at Buffalo, New 
York, at which was nominated Martin Van 
Buren of New York for President, and Charles 
Francis Adams of Massachusetts for Vice- 
President. 

With this movement my father was in sym- 
pathy. One resolution of the Buffalo conven- 
tion I remember was, "The stone that the build- 
ers rejected — the same shall become the head of 
the corner." This party was called "Free Soil 
Democracy," and was the first organized demon- 
stration against the extension of slavery into new 
territory. Martin Van Buren did not receive an 
electoral vote, but did receive 291,000 of the 
popular vote, enough to defeat Mr. Cass. Gen- 
eral Taylor only received 140,000 more of the 






•• - ..> • 



109 -tr 



popular vote than General Cass. Had the votes 
given to Van Buren been cast for Cass he would 
probably have been elected. This was a lively 
campaign. The son of Martin Van Buren came 
to our town and delivered an able address to a 
large number of voters. He had been Attorney- 
General of the State of New York. After the 
meeting, our member of Congress, Mr. Chas. B. 
Hoard, introduced our father to him while I was 
standing by his side. The arrangement was then 
concluded for my brother Joseph, then in Yale 
College, to enter his office as a student of law, 
upon his graduation. 

General Zachary Taylor died after one year's 
service as President and was succeeded by Mil- 
lard Fillmore, Vice-President, elected with him, 
who served three years as President. It was dur- 
ing his term of office that the "Fugitive Slave" 
law was passed by Congress, and Fillmore signed 
it, and it became the law of the land. Its consti- 
tutionality was challenged, but when submitted 
to the United States Supreme Court it was 
sanctioned by that body. In rendering the 
Court's opinion (1857) the Chief Justice, Roger 
B. Taney, used this language: "That the slave 
i 2 J had no rights that white men were bound to re- 
j- kL. U I s P ect -" This was so abhorrent to the average con- 
Ak *A<**- \ science of the North that when the United States 

u ^ 4 #*•**"*•*=*% Marshal undertook to summon the posse comi- 









tatus to aid in enforcing the law, returning fugi- 
tives, many refused, saying he might imprison 
them but they would not assist in enforcing such 
a law. This brought forth the memorable re- 
mark in a public speech from Hon. W. H. Sew- 
ard, "That there was a higher law." Tom Cor- 
win of Ohio was in the cabinet of Millard Fill- 
more and did not approve of the fugitive slave 
law, being an exclusionist, while Fillmore was 
endeavoring to enforce this law. He did not re- 
sign. However, in after years, during the term 
of James Buchanan as President, his constituents 
returned him to the Lower House of Congress 
when he took strong grounds against the exten- 
sion of slavery and against this fugitive slave 
law. I happened to be in Washington, and one 
day while in the House of Representatives heard 
some members in opposition to him taunt him 
with the inquiry, "Were you not in Mr. Fill- 
more's cabinet when this first became a law?" 
and he responded facetiously, "Millard's head 
was not sound on that question." 

It was during Fillmore's term that California 
was admitted as one of the States of the Union, on 
the 9th of September, 1850. This was brought 
about after bitter and acrimonious discussion be- 
tween the interests of the free and slave States, 
with a triumph for free States' men. When the 
Presidential election of 1856 approached there 

ill 



was but little said upon any question excepting 
that of slavery in the territory; and the anti-ex- 
tension of slavery voters of the country organ- 
ized under the name of Republican and nomin- 
ated John C. Fremont for President and W. L. 
Dayton for Vice-President; while the Demo- 
crats placed James Buchanan at the head of their 
ticket, with J. C. Breckinridge as their Vice- 
President. 

This was the first time in the history of the 
country that slavery became the dominant fea- 
ture of an election. Buchanan was elected by a 
majority of 500,000 of the popular vote and 60 
of the electoral. It was during the four years of 
his administration that the question of slavery 
in the territories exhausted itself in the forum of 
public debate. The commercial interests of the 
North were ready to compromise and concede 
much to the South, but the agricultural interests 
were ready to challenge the invasion of the slave 
power and they were reinforced by the anti- 
slavery party, not large in numbers, but large in 
their readiness to sacrifice all they had and all 
they hoped for. They were ready writers and 
formidable debaters. The evolution of public 
sentiment all over the civilized world was a 
formidable ally to the party resisting the en- 
croachment of the slave power. It soon became 
an "irrepressible conflict" between existing, en- 

112 



during forces. The first great civic contest was 
held over the admission of Kansas. A convention 
met at Topeka in 1855 and the constitution 
formed and adopted by the people December 15, 
1855, and this was rejected by Congress. Another 
constitution was formed at Lecompton, Novem- 
ber 7, 1857. A bill passed Congress to admit, 
conditionally, under the Lecompton constitution 
May 4, 1858. This act of admission was re- 
jected by the people January 4, 1859. Another 
convention met at Wyandotte July 5, 1859. By 
act of Congress, Kansas was admitted as a state, 
unconditionally, under the Wyandotte Constitu- 
tion January 29, 1861. This forbade slavery in 
the state after a struggle of six years between the 
opposing forces, conducted at times without re- 
gard to peaceful methods. This conflict gave 
her the name of "Bleeding Kansas." 

When the time approached for nominations 
for the election of i860, party spirit ran high. 
The South felt sorely aggrieved over their defeat 
in Kansas. The two names that had attracted 
most attention in discussing this question before 
the people were Abraham Lincoln and Stephen 
A. Douglass, both candidates for the United 
States Senate. They arranged for a joint de- 
bate before the people. This discussion became 
historic. Never before or since has the debate 
of party questions commanded so wide-spread 

113 



and general attention from the intellectual forces 
of the country. This was like thunder before 
a storm. Their joint debate at Freeport, Illinois, 
I believe, brought together more voters than the 
country had ever seen gathered together upon 
one spot. The Legislature to be elected that fall 
was to elect a United States Senator, and Doug- 
lass was elected. The Republican party was then 
young, but it had the element of great intellectual 
strength behind it, while the Democratic party 
had the advantage of the power that comes from 
being in possession of the patronage of the 
country. 

When the National convention met in Chi- 
cago the two prominent candidates were Abra- 
ham Lincoln and W. H. Seward. After pro- 
tracted balloting the former received the nomi- 
nation for President and Hannibal Hamlin of 
Maine for Vice-President. This was regarded, 
as it demonstrated itself to be, a formidable 
ticket, and the platform upon which they were 
to go before the people took strong anti-slavery 
extension position. 

The Democratic National Convention met in 
Charleston, South Carolina, and after a long, 
bitter discussion of its platform the larger part 
of the Northern delegation went out of the con- 
vention to subsequently meet in Baltimore. The 
delegates remaining proceeded to nominate 

114 



Jas»s' C. Breckinridge of Kentucky for Presi- 
dent and Joseph Lane of Oregon for Vice-Presi- 
dent. The Baltimore branch of the Democratic 
party proceeded to nominate Stephen A. Doug- 
lass and H. V. Johnson. There yet remained a 
considerable number of voters not content with 
any of the three party declarations, and they 
called a convention that nominated John Bell of 
Tennessee and Edward Everett of Massachusetts, 
and took the name of "Conservatives." During 
the election, I was in Europe. 

(Incomplete.} 



SUPPLEMENTARY NOTE BY HIS SON. 

Before recounting the political issues in these 
last pages, my father stated that in 1901 he was 
engaged in the management of his estate, as it had 
been incorporated and he was its president. 

The political history which he was in these 
closing pages recounting would have been 
elaborated and continued down to a later date, 
no doubt, had his health permitted. But it was 
at about this time that the weakness of his heart 
action began to manifest itself ; he could not walk 
far without feeling great fatigue, and the diffi- 
culty of breathing at times oppressed him very 
much. 



115 



The recital of our political history seems to 
be suddenly broken off, but I am grateful that 
we have any part of this autobiographical sketch, 
and we would have had none had it not been that 
Mr. Charles E. Naylor, the attorney at that time 
for the Mark Sheldon Company, had two copies 
of the original manuscript stenographed, one of 
which was in my office in the "Sheldon Build- 
ing" with the original manuscript, and the other 
Mr. Naylor had stored away in his fire-proof 
vault. 

After the fire of April 18, 1906, all that re- 
mained of the Sheldon Building and its contents 
was a heap of rubbish. Not knowing of the 
existence at that time of another copy of my 
father's sketch, I believed that we had lost this 
so-much-prized recital of his life's history, 
which I had urged him so long to begin and 
encouraged him so much in continuing, and 
which, after once beginning, had given him so 
much pleasure in composing and in reading por- 
tions to us and to other close friends and neigh- 
bors as he composed them. 

I am very grateful to Mr. Naylor for his hav- 
ing this extra copy made, and especially for his 
foresight and caution in retaining one of these 
copies in a safe and fire-proof vault. 

All of us, widow and children of Mark Shel- 
don, were pleased beyond measure when a dupli- 

116 



cate of what appeared to be destroyed forever 
was resurrected in all its unique and character- 
istic expression. 

It was in the year following the completion of 
this sketch, namely on June i, 1902, that my 
father died, and we buried him in our vault in 
Cypress Lawn Cemetery. His age at his death 
was 72 years 6 months and 1 1 days. 

One of our San Francisco newspapers said 
of him at the time of his death that he had been 
"One of the most active and public-spirited resi- 
dents of the city." 

Another paper said of him: "He was a man 
who was born to succeed, being industrious, ener- 
getic, of excellent judgment and keen percep- 
tions and another example of what young men 
who are bound to succeed can do." 

Another article said: "His large estate is in 
the excellent condition which with wise fore- 
thought he intended it should be when he said 
that he had 'put his house in order.' " 

In his will, made January 25, 1902, he divided 
all the shares he possessed in the Mark Sheldon 
Company equally among the four survivors of 
his family, namely, my mother, my brother 
Joseph, my sister Catherine and myself. 

My father was a sincerely religious and tem- 
perate man, upright, honorable and unpreten- 
tious. He liked to read and quote and discuss 

117 



the Bible and took much interest in the Unitarian 
Church in San Francisco and was a warm friend 
of its ministers, especially Horatio Stebbins 
and Bradford Leavitt. 

In business matters he tried to train those asso- 
ciated with him to be exact, to keep all matters in 
perfect order, to use the best and up-to-date 
methods, to study human nature so as to distin- 
guish for association and business dealings the 
good and worthy from the bad, pretentious and 
untrustworthy. 

In his business dealings he himself was cau- 
tion personified, and showed clear perception of 
circumstances and foresight and honesty in every- 
thing he did and said. He loved to quote "Read- 
ing makes a full man, writing an exact man and 
speaking a ready man." 

Bacon, Shakespeare, Thackeray, Scott, Emer- 
son, Disraeli, Macaulay, Dr. Johnson, Carlyle, 
Irving and Dickens were his favorite authors, 
and he read much of the writings of Grant, Gar- 
field, Blaine, Baker, Starr King, Sherman, Mark 
Twain and Horace Greeley. 

At times there was a somber mood in his life, 
a dark swift-passing storm cloud lying over the 
radiant sunshine, and I have heard him quote 
from Greeley, "Fame is a vapor, popularity an 
accident, riches take wing; the only earthly cer- 
tainty is oblivion." 

118 



But sunshine and merry moods were more 
often in the ascendant. With a jovial, beaming, 
yet earnest expression on his face, he loved often 
to quote Oliver Wendell Holmes : 

"I come not here your morning hours to sadden, 
A limping pilgrim leaning on his staff, 

I, who never deemed it sin to sadden 

This vale of tears with a wholesome laugh." 

And with intensity of stored-up humor bursting 
forth, his laughter and high-pitched tones would 
ring through the house, and those who heard him 
would be convulsed with laughter. 

In telling amusing stories he enjoyed the recol- 
lection of them as much as those who heard, and 
his stories seemed interminable. At the table 
with congenial guests he was at his best; an ex- 
cellent conversationalist, he would keep up a con- 
tinuous run of talk for hours. A most extra- 
ordinary chain of thought would pass through 
his mind — made up of links of history, stories, 
humor, mimicry, wisdom and sound common 
sense. In his library after dinner he would lead 
the conversation into matters of politics, religion 
and history. 

Entertaining, wherever he was, instructive 
and always studying and learning, jovial with 
those he liked whenever he met them, critical 
where criticism lead to betterment, boisterous 

119 



and boy-like when the open air of the country- 
induced it and the ears of the supersensitive were 
far removed, poetical when recollections of his 
favorites led the mood, he was always observant 
and appreciative of the true and good about him. 
He gave praise where praise was justly deserved, 
and there was no ambiguity in his expressions 
where severe criticism or comments were neces- 
sary. 

In the last years of his life his memory of early 
events, doings and sayings was most vivid. He 
carried a storehouse full of information and ex- 
perience. He kept up with modern topics and 
discussed them in his own characteristic way. 
His instruction was always enlivened by apt 
stories and similies. At the end, when the suffer- 
ing would let up to allow it, he would say odd 
and quaint things and make fun and try to cheer 
up those whose distress at his condition was only 
too obvious to him. 

He had no fear of death, and his features wore 
a pleasant expression when his spirit had taken 
its flight and passed on into the shadows. 

Frank P. Sheldon. 



120 



